Amid the crisis in three northern municipalities, the flag of the European Union, the flag of Kosovo, as well as a large banner with the inscription „United in Diversity“ – the motto of the EU – were displayed yesterday on the main bridge between North and South Mitrovica.
The chairman of the North Mitrovica MA, Nedzad Ugljanin, the new deputy mayor of this municipality, Katarina Adjancic, two municipal representatives, and the European official Kati Schneeberger took a photograph next to this banner on the same bridge.
„The bridge in Mitrovica has a new design element as of today,“ Schneeberger, the president of the „Vienna goes Europe“ association, tweeted.
The same branch in Kosovo „Kosovo goes Europe“ also reacted with the message that this „small selection” from three ethnic communities in Kosovo has now made the the European Union’s motto Mitrovica’s motto.
“Together with Albanians, Serbs and Bosnians – as a small selection of the big variety in Mitrovica – we have made the motto of the EU ‘United in Diversity’ to the motto of Mitrovica,” the association said on Twitter.
Together with Albanians, Serbs and Bosnians – as a small selection of the big variety in Mitrovica – we have made the motto of the #EU „United in Diversity“ to the motto of Mitrovica.#UnitedInDiversity pic.twitter.com/E86wsHb92s
— Kosovo goes Europe (@KosovogoesEU) July 10, 2023
The mayor of North Mitrovica, Erden Atic, welcomed the European official in his office on Monday.
The meeting in the municipality was also attended by his deputy.
They discussed, as Atic later elaborated , the events in Kosovo, as well as the work of the municipality of North Mitrovica in the new convocation.
„I sincerely thanked her for the correct attitudes that Ms. Schneeberger continuously maintains,“ said Atic.
The banner with this message, as well as the flag of Kosovo and the flag of the European Union, are still displayed on the Ibar bridge.
The flag was placed in the midst of the crisis in the north and the very strained relations between ethnic Serbs and Albanians.
The current leadership in the four northern municipalities is not recognized by the majority Serbian population, given that they were practically installed by force, with an almost 100% boycott of the elections by the locals.
The lack of legitimacy followed by a series of incidents and instability on the ground itself, including the forcible entry into three municipal buildings in the north prompted the international diplomats to call for an urgent de-escalation, primarily from the Kosovo Prime Minister, via a three-point plan. Kurti, however, has been de facto opposing this and presenting his suggestions.
He also spoke about them in the latest interview for the BBC.
North Mitrovica is the only municipality in the north that has been operational since the Serbs left that institution in November.
Currently, there is only one ethnic Serb councilor, Dusan Milunovic. In a recent interview for KoSSev, Milunovic shared a number of objections to the work of the municipal assembly.
Keeping in mind the proposals that have been presented to the councilors in the last few sessions, starting with the proposal to open the Ibar Bridge to traffic, as well as the one to join North Mitrovica to the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, while the latest crisis in the north is underway, Milunovic shared his belief that this municipality serves as „a smokescreen for the existence of reality“, and that Belgrade, Pristina and the European Union are saving it for trade.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
