KASH Opposes Vučić’s Warning About Possible Diversion of the Ibër: Water Cannot Be Used as a Tool of Political Pressure

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s recent statement that Serbian authorities are analyzing the possibility of altering the course of the Ibër River and have engaged experts on the matter has prompted deep concern from the Albanian Ambassadors Council (KASH).

In its official response, KASH described as extremely alarming the use, in a political context, of an issue that directly affects water resources, energy security and citizens’ well-being, turning it into a potential means of exerting pressure on the Republic of Kosovo.

According to the Council, the Ibër River and the Ujman system, also known as Gazivoda, play a crucial role in the water supply, energy production, economy and livelihoods of all Kosovo’s citizens, regardless of their ethnicity.

KASH warns that any unilateral intervention that would alter the river’s natural course and have cross-border consequences would constitute an irresponsible act and violate the basic principles of international law.

The statement recalls that the international framework governing transboundary waters is based on the equitable and reasonable use of shared resources. It also establishes states’ obligation to avoid harming other parties through cooperation, notification and prior consultation.

In support of this position, KASH cites the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, as well as the 1992 UNECE Convention. The Council emphasizes that projects with serious economic and environmental consequences cannot under any circumstances be regarded solely as Serbia’s internal affairs.

The Albanian Ambassadors Council calls on President Vučić and Serbian institutions to abandon and distance themselves from any unilateral plan or action that could endanger water security and regional stability.

At the same time, KASH calls on Washington, Brussels, the OSCE and other international partners to examine the situation with the utmost seriousness. According to the Council, Belgrade must be asked to provide transparency and official explanations regarding the existence of any project aimed at diverting the Ibër River, because water should be a force for unity, not a political weapon.

The full response:

The Albanian Ambassadors Council (KASH) declares that it is deeply concerned by the recent position of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, according to which Serbian institutions have engaged experts and are considering the possibility of altering the course of the Ibër River.

For KASH, it is particularly concerning that water resources, energy security and citizens’ well-being are being placed within a political framework and presented as a potential instrument for exerting pressure on the Republic of Kosovo.

Kosovo’s water supply, energy production, economy and the lives of its citizens, without any ethnic distinction, depend vitally on the Ibër River and the Ujman/Gazivoda system. For this reason, any unilateral intervention that could disrupt the river’s natural course and cause significant consequences across borders must be addressed with the utmost responsibility and in full compliance with international law.

KASH notes that international rules governing transboundary waters are built on several key principles. These include the reasonable and equitable use of shared water resources; states’ obligation to take all appropriate measures to prevent significant harm to other parties; cooperation and the exchange of information; and prior notification and consultation regarding planned measures that may have significant cross-border effects. These principles also include the protection of ecosystems and the sustainable use of water resources.

These standards are enshrined, among other instruments, in the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. They are also reflected in the 1992 UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, part of the international framework aimed at the peaceful and sustainable management of shared water resources.

Based on these principles, a project to alter the course of a transboundary river that could seriously affect drinking water, energy, the environment and economic activity in another territory cannot simply be classified as an internal matter. Such an initiative requires transparency, a comprehensive analysis of its cross-border consequences, notification and consultation, as well as cooperation with potentially affected parties, in accordance with the relevant norms and principles of international law.

For KASH, turning water or other vital resources into tools of political pressure is unacceptable. Such rhetoric runs counter to regional cooperation, good-neighborly relations and the principles on which the Western Balkans’ European perspective should be based.

KASH calls on President Vučić and the institutions of the Republic of Serbia to distance themselves from any unilateral initiative or action that could harm the water, energy, economic and environmental security of the Republic of Kosovo and its citizens.

The Council also calls on the European Union, the United States of America, the OSCE and other international partners to take this statement seriously and demand explanations and transparency from the Belgrade authorities regarding any specific project that may exist to alter the course of the Ibër River.

The Albanian Ambassadors Council reiterates that water is a vital resource that should bring peoples closer together, not divide them. Long-term peace and stability in the region cannot be achieved through threats or the exploitation of natural resources as tools of pressure, but only through dialogue, cooperation, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the implementation of international law.