Drecun: Opening of Ibar bridge part of plan to occupy north Kosovo

BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian parliamentary committee on Kosovo-Metohija Milovan Drecun said on Thursday an initiative to open a Kosovska Mitrovica bridge on the Ibar River to traffic was a part of preparations to occupy the north of Kosovo.

In an appearance on Pink TV, Drecun said the occupation was being planned by Pristina's PM Albin Kurti.

"There definitely are plans for a police and military operation in the north if Western states allow that. Serious preparations are underway and the Kosovo forces' involvement in this military drill (Defender Europe 2023) is a part of the preparations. If someone is are exercising offensive actions, that tells you that they are preparing something," Drecun said.

"I see the opening of the Ibar bridge as the main direction of a strike - that is the main street leading to the centre of Kosovska Mitrovica," Drecun said.

He said the West had no respect for the Serbs of northern Kosovo or their election will.

"They treat the Serbs like second class citizens and do not care about their survival and their prospects. If it was up to them, the Serbs would not exist. It is a relationship without any respect whatsoever, and that is why Kurti is acting like this. You have over 330 ethnically motivated attacks on the Serb population and then a US report says Kosovo is making progress," Drecun said.

He noted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's clear message that he would not give Kosovo-Metohija away was not only the president's stance, but also the stance of the people.