Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic pledged on Sunday that his country would assist in the investigation of an explosion in Kosovo that disrupted water supplies, an incident the Kosovo government has blamed on Belgrade.
The explosion, which occurred on Friday evening, targeted a canal supplying water to Kosovo’s two coal-fired power plants, which are crucial for the country’s electricity production. It also led to water supply cuts in some regions, although there were no power outages.
The attack has exacerbated long-standing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia. The Kosovo government labeled the explosion as an act of terrorism orchestrated by Serbia, a claim which Serbia has vehemently denied.
“Finding out the truth is in the best interest of our country,” Vucic told reporters. He emphasized Serbia’s readiness to share information, even with Pristina. However, he reiterated that Serbia had no involvement in the explosion and accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti of using the incident to solidify his control over northern Kosovo, where a Serb majority refuses to recognize Pristina’s institutions and continues to view Belgrade as its capital.
Kosovo authorities have not disclosed specific reasons for blaming Serbia for the attack. In a related development, Kosovo police arrested eight individuals and seized weapons and explosives in raids connected to the explosion. On Sunday, reports indicated that water supplies were beginning to return to normal.
The explosion comes amid the ongoing dispute over Kosovo’s independence, which was declared in 2008 after the NATO bombing campaign to end the persecution of ethnic Albanians during the 1998-1999 war. While Kosovo has been recognized by many countries, including most of the European Union, Serbia, supported by Russia, does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and continues to block its membership in the United Nations.
Both Kosovo and Serbia have set EU membership as a key goal, but for this to happen, the two countries must first normalize relations. Nearly 17 years after Kosovo’s declaration of independence, over 4,000 NATO troops remain in the region to maintain a fragile peace.
