The European Union has announced that the technical and political conditions for opening the main bridge over the Iber River in Mitrovica have been met. The development comes after KFOR decided to begin a gradual transition away from a permanent military presence at the site.
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The bridge, which for years has symbolized the division between the two parts of Mitrovica, remains at the center of discussions on security, freedom of movement and the normalization of the situation in northern Kosovo.
The EU’s confirmation has raised the question of whether the bridge’s opening is now merely a matter of time, as well as whether the gradual reduction of KFOR’s permanent presence could affect the area’s stability and security.
Speaking to “Bota sot,” columnist Emin Azemi and former MP Adem Salihaj gave their assessments of the significance of this process, the changes on the ground and its potential impact on the lives of Mitrovica’s citizens.
Azemi sees the bridge’s opening as a turning point of historic and political importance for the region. According to him, the fact that the EU has confirmed that the necessary conditions have been met shows that there is a clear international will to advance the process and that the long period of deadlock is coming to an end.
He believes that the legitimacy granted by Brussels shifts the debate from whether the bridge should be opened to the practical question of how the opening will be carried out. According to Azemi, this step could reshape the dynamics of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and bring a new approach to security measures on the ground.
Diplomatically, Azemi considers the latest developments evidence of a shift in the balance of the negotiations. He says the process is moving away from endless discussions of technical issues toward the creation of new facts concerning territorial sovereignty.
The columnist adds that the EU’s position and NATO’s moves show that international decision-making is bypassing Serbia’s historic veto over the north and reducing Belgrade’s role in the process. However, he emphasizes that Pristina’s path toward European structures remains closely linked to coordinating strategic steps with Western allies.
According to him, at a time when Brussels is expected to increase its demands on Kosovo regarding the implementation of the Association, this process could serve as a political counterbalance to recent concessions related to sovereignty.
For Azemi, KFOR’s decision on the gradual transition of its military presence is of particular strategic importance. He interprets the move as reflecting a new assessment of the security situation and as a sign of confidence in the capacity of local authorities to maintain order.
He stresses that the process is unfolding carefully, with the aim of avoiding the creation of a security vacuum. Stability in the north, he says, will depend on close cooperation between local and international forces. In this context, the Kosovo Police has begun taking responsibility for securing the bridge, replacing KFOR’s static checkpoints.
Azemi considers this development an important step toward normalizing life and guaranteeing freedom of movement in Mitrovica. He says the bridge is gradually moving away from its long-standing role as a symbol of ethnic division and could become a normal urban connection point.
According to him, the free movement of citizens and goods would contribute to the economic integration of the city’s two parts, make daily life easier and create opportunities for greater social cooperation between the communities. He also believes that weakening this symbol of division could bring political and psychological stability to the country, increase security for foreign investment and pave the way for more sustainable economic development.
Adem Salihaj, meanwhile, says that KFOR’s withdrawal from the bridge and the deployment of the Kosovo Police there constitute a major, and even final, step toward the complete normalization of the situation in the north.
According to Salihaj, for nearly three decades the Iber Bridge has functioned as a symbol of the border and division. For years, it conveyed the idea that Albanians were on one side, while Serbs and Serbia were on the other.
He recalls that until five years ago, crossing into the north was considered extremely dangerous for Albanians and that none of them dared to set foot in that area. Salihaj believes that the construction of two alternative bridges and the establishment of the Kosovo government’s control in the north have diminished the Iber Bridge’s role as a dividing line.
Salihaj says that the Serbian structures, which he associates with the Bridge Guards and the Northern Brigades, have increasingly lost their influence. According to him, their main activity now consists of writing anti-Albanian graffiti at night.
He describes the bridge as an infamous symbol that serves as a reminder that there are still people hoping to use it to prevent the establishment of full control over that part of Kosovo. Salihaj calls it a symbol of Kosovo’s division, a project on which, he says, Vučić worked extensively together with several associates in Kosovo and Albania.
Salihaj says that the full normalization of life in the north is now certain and is expected to take place within months. However, he emphasizes that work still remains to be done to complete the process.
