A day after Kosovo authorities closed five parallel Serbian municipalities in the north of the country, NATO's peacekeeping mission there, KFOR, has increased its presence at the main bridge over the Iber River.
On the bridge that separates South Mitrovica, inhabited by Albanians, from the North, inhabited by a majority of Serbs, apart from cars, a cordon of KFOR members was also seen. The action of Pristina was immediately criticized by the official who called on the Government of Kosovo not to take unilateral and uncoordinated steps.
This move by the executive of Albin Kurti adds to the earlier dissatisfaction of the partner countries with his intention to open the bridge for vehicle traffic. The United States, the European Union and KFOR have expressed their opposition to the opening of the bridge at this moment, and while it was requested that this issue be addressed in the Brussels dialogue, the American ambassador in Pristina stated that such a step could pose a risk to American soldiers.
The NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo has also warned several times that it will not hesitate to act to respond to security-related developments. KFOR has a permanent presence on the bridge over the Ibër River.