The US Department of State seeks to avoid tensions in the region after the tensions created regarding a statement by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic regarding the possible change in the course of the Iber River.
The US has emphasized the importance of the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia for peace and stability in the Western Balkans.
“Peace and stability in the Western Balkans are priorities of the United States. The normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a necessary part of this process,” said the DASH spokesperson for Radio Free Europe.
The American reaction comes after concerns raised regarding the statement of Vučić, who said on August 9 that the Serbian authorities are examining, together with experts, the possibility of changing the course of the Iber River.
Earlier, the European Union also reacted to this issue, calling to avoid statements and actions that do not serve the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Brussels also made it clear that statements about possible changes in the course of the Iber River and any other actions that do not support the normalization process should be avoided.
“Progress in the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia can only be achieved through dialogue”, said the spokesperson of the European Commission.
The debate was ignited after the statement of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who said that the authorities of Serbia are considering the possibility of changing the course of the Ibri and that experts have been engaged for this matter.
The statement caused immediate reactions in Tirana and Pristina, while the issue of the river Ibër turned into a political debate between Albania and Serbia.
The Albanian Foreign Minister, Ferit Hoxha, reacted by opposing any idea of using water resources as a means of political pressure. Hoxha also referred to the obligations stemming from international conventions for the use of transboundary water resources, underlining the need to respect them.
From the Serbian side, Foreign Minister Marko Gjurič opposed the Albanian reaction, describing the issue as an internal problem of Serbia. The same position was taken by the Serbian president, Vucic, who said that “I don’t know what this has to do with Albania?”.
The clash between the two sides then expanded into the debate about Kosovo and the claims for the so-called “Greater Albania”.
Prime Minister Edi Rama was also involved in this debate, who reacted with ironic tones to the shifting of the discussion from the issue of the Ibër River to the claims for “Greater Albania” and the status of Kosovo. Rama emphasized that Albania has no territorial claims against Serbia and underlined that the territory of the Republic of Kosovo and the natural resources located within it cannot be considered territory or resources of Serbia.
After the heated political debate in the region, the reactions from Washington and Brussels have emphasized the need to avoid tensions and return attention to dialogue.
