Kosovo's prime minister calls for fully reopening a bridge in Mitrovica. But the West is wary

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Kosovo’s prime minister says that fully reopening a bridge in Mitrovica would be another step toward free movement and wasn’t a threat to anyone

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s prime minister on Wednesday said that fully reopening a bridge in Mitrovica would be another step toward free movement and wasn't a threat to anyone. But Western powers are wary of the potential move, saying it could increase tensions.

The bridge has been closed to passenger vehicle traffic for more than a decade, with minority ethnic Serbs time and again erecting barricades since 2011 because they say “ethnic cleansing” would be carried out against them if ethnic Albanians could freely travel over the bridge into their part of the city in northern Kosovo.

Mitrovica is divided into a Serb-dominated north and ethnic Albanian south of the city, and the two sides rarely mix.

Kosovo was a former Serbian province until a 78-day NATO bombing campaign in 1999 ended a war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo, which left about 13,000 dead, mainly ethnic Albanians, and pushed Serbian forces out. Serbia doesn’t recognize Kosovo’s 2008 independence.

At the moment, the bridge is open to commercial and foot traffic. Last year, the Mitrovica local assembly decided that the bridge should fully reopen, including passenger vehicles.

But the proposal has caused concern among Western powers, which fear a revival of the interethnic conflict there if there is a free flow of vehicles crossing the bridge.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that freedom of movement, the rule of law and peace and security were the fundamental basis for wanting to fully reopen the bridge opening.

“The bridge opening is against no one, least so against