Kosovo asks EU to press Serbia to allow electricity flows, raising new energy tensions
Pristina asks the EU to pressure Belgrade after the Energy Community set a July 1 deadline for cross‑border capacity that Serbia has not met.
Kosovo has asked the European Union to press Serbia to enable cross‑border electricity flows as Pristina faces an energy shortfall and looks for cheaper imports to ease the crisis.
The request follows a decision by the Vienna‑based Energy Community’s Ministerial Council, which set a deadline for Serbia to provide cross‑border transmission capacity toward Kosovo by 1 July. That decision called on Belgrade to respect the organisation’s rules for cross‑border electricity trade.
Belgrade has not yet implemented the Energy Community’s recommendation, a failure that Pristina says complicates already strained relations between the two sides and limits Kosovo’s options for securing affordable power.
President Vučić raises prospect of changing the Ibar
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić added fuel to the dispute by announcing that Belgrade is considering altering the course of the Ibar river. He said experts, engineers and construction specialists have already been summoned to examine possible interventions.
"We have already called experts who deal with this, the construction sector, engineers and others, so when our people are being harassed so much, let's see — we have different reasons to change the course of the Ibar," Vučić said.
The Ibar is linked to the Gazivode reservoir system, which plays an important role in Kosovo’s electricity production and water supply. The hydropower infrastructure at Gazivode provides power for a significant share of Kosovo’s needs, while the Ibar‑Lepenec system supplies water to local communities.
Recent demolitions of structures near the Gazivode reservoir by Kosovo authorities drew protests from Belgrade and prompted commentary from the EU. Serbian officials say they are monitoring developments closely and will act in line with national interests.
Separately, Belgrade and Tirana have agreed to open consulates in Shkodër and in Bujanovac, a diplomatic move that was announced amid the wider regional discussions.
Photo: МИА
