Vučić proposes diverting Ibër River, sparking international backlash
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has sparked international concern by announcing that Serbian authorities are exploring the possibility of diverting the course of the Ibër River. Vučić stated that experts, including engineers and construction specialists, have been engaged to study the project, which he linked to the destruction of Serbian properties near Lake Ujman in northern Kosovo.
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from international actors. The European Union and the German Embassy in Kosovo warned that such declarations are counterproductive and do not support the essential dialogue required for the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. The United States Department of State reiterated that peace and stability in the Western Balkans remain a priority and that normalization is an indispensable part of the regional process.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama responded by asserting that natural resources within Kosovo's territory belong to the Republic of Kosovo and are not Serbian resources. He emphasized that Albania supports Kosovo's sovereignty and independence. Meanwhile, some Serbian commentators have dismissed the plan as an absurd, technically complex, and prohibitively expensive empty threat that lacks connection to political reality.
Entities
Albania · Aleksandar Vučić · Edi Rama · European Union · Ibër River · Kosovo · Serbia · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The German Embassy in Kosovo called Vučić's statements counterproductive to the dialogue for normalization. veriu.info
- [● 2 SOURCES] Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama asserted that natural resources within Kosovo's territory belong to Kosovo and are not Serbian resources. www.illyria.com · ekonomiaonline.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The European Union stated that declarations regarding the diversion of the Ibër River should be avoided as they do not aid the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. orainfo.net · zhurnal.mk · lajmi.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] The United States emphasized that peace and stability in the Western Balkans are priorities and that normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo is essential. orainfo.net · lajmi.net
- [● 4 SOURCES] Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that experts are studying a plan to divert the Ibër River. gazeta.mk · orainfo.net · zhurnal.mk · lajmi.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Serbian publicist Zlatoje Martinov described the plan to divert the river as an absurd, technically complex, and expensive empty threat. gazeta.mk