The acting Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning, Fitore Pacolli, issued a strong response to recent statements made by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. Vučić had indicated that the possibility of changing the course of the Ibar River into Serbian territory is under consideration, noting that experts have been invited to review the matter. Pacolli characterized these declarations as deeply concerning and unacceptable.
She specifically addressed the potential interference with vital water resources and the infrastructure connected to the entire Ibar-Lepenc system. In her statement, Pacolli emphasized the international legal framework governing shared water bodies. She cited the Helsinki Convention, which stipulates that signatory states bear an obligation to cooperate in ensuring the fair and reasonable utilization of transboundary waters.
Furthermore, the convention mandates measures to prevent transboundary environmental harm and to safeguard shared water ecosystems. The Minister stressed that unilateral actions regarding such critical natural assets could undermine regional stability and ecological integrity. In light of the contested plans, Pacolli directed her appeal to major international bodies.
She called upon the European Union, the United States of America, and the United Nations to intervene and uphold international water law principles. The focus of her appeal was to ensure that any consideration of altering the natural course of the Ibar River adheres strictly to principles of mutual cooperation and environmental protection, thereby countering the implications raised by the President’s recent statements.
Topics: #ibar #statements #changing
