The European Union has warned that statements by Serbian officials about the possibility of changing the course of the Ibar River do not contribute to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
European Union spokeswoman Anita Hipper said on August 11 at a press conference that open issues between the two sides can only be resolved through dialogue.
“We also recall that progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is a prerequisite for both sides to advance on their European path,” said Hipper.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated on August 9 that Serbian authorities are examining with experts the possibility of changing the course of the Ibar River, linking this to the demolition of Serb houses and villas near Lake Ujman, in northern Kosovo.
His statement prompted strong reactions from officials in Kosovo and was followed by a public clash between officials from Albania and Serbia.
The Ibar River, about 270 kilometers long, originates in Montenegro, passes through Serbia and then enters Kosovo, where it supplies the artificial lake of Ujman.
About two-thirds of this lake is located in the territory of Kosovo.
Water from the Ujman and Iber-Lepenc systems supplies seven municipalities, is used for irrigation and for cooling the thermal power plants in Obiliq, which produce most of the electricity in Kosovo.
Experts who have previously spoken to Radio Free Europe have said that diverting the flow of the Ibar is technically possible, but would be extremely costly and, if it caused damage to Kosovo, would conflict with the principles of international law on transboundary waters.
Serbia is a signatory to the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Uses of International Watercourses for Purposes Other than Navigation.
This convention defines, among other things, the principle of fair and reasonable utilization of transboundary waters, as well as the obligation not to cause significant damage to other states.
Kosovo is not a party to this convention, as it is not a member of the United Nations./REL