Pacoli to Vučić: Water resources cannot be an instrument of threat
Kosovo's acting minister Fitore Pacoli called Aleksandar Vučić's announcement of a possible change in the Ibar's course 'deeply concerning and unacceptable'.
Kosovo's acting minister Fitore Pacoli called Aleksandar Vučić's announcement of a possible change in the Ibar's course 'deeply concerning and unacceptable'.
Late last night, one of the first official reactions from Pristina arrived regarding Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's statement that he is considering the possibility of altering the course of the Ibar River. Fitore Pacoli, acting Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure of Kosovo, stated that water resources must not be used as a tool for intimidation.
"The statements of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić about the possibility of intervening in water resources and infrastructure related to the Ibar-Lepenac system are deeply concerning and unacceptable," Pacoli said, as reported by KoSSev. She emphasized that "water resources cannot be used as an instrument of threat, pressure, or destabilization against another state."
In her response, Pacoli referred to the Helsinki Convention, highlighting the obligation of states to cooperate in the equitable and reasonable use of transboundary waters, as well as to prevent transboundary harm and protect water ecosystems. She added that Kosovo will "protect its water resources, critical infrastructure, and the interests of its citizens, in accordance with the Constitution, the laws of the Republic of Kosovo, and the principles of international law."
Her reaction came a day after Vučić, speaking about the position of Serbs in Kosovo, announced the engagement of experts. "And soon, I must announce to you, we have already invited experts who deal with this, that is, the construction sector, engineers, all others... Since they are harassing our people so much, let's see, we have various reasons for changing the course of the Ibar, so we'll see what the Albanians will do and how they will behave," Vučić said on Sunday.
After a sharp response from Pristina, Vučić later also spoke to Kurir.rs, denying any threats: "I AM NOT THREATENING ANYONE, I AM NOT KURTI." He added: "We are dealing with our own interests, LET THEM NOT JUST DEAL WITH THE STATE!"
Vučić's statement raised the question of the international legal regime of the Ibar as a transboundary watercourse. The river originates in Montenegro, passes through Kosovo and the Gazivode reservoir, and then enters central Serbia. Serbia and Montenegro are signatories to the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses, which obliges them to prevent significant adverse transboundary impacts and to ensure equitable use of waters.
Although Kosovo's status complicates formal interstate procedures, it does not change the fact that the Ibar flows through multiple territories. A legal assessment of any potential "diversion of the Ibar" would primarily depend on the location of the intervention, its impact on flow, and downstream consequences, but Vučić did not provide these details in his announcement.
Pacoli's reaction comes at a time of heightened tensions precisely over water resources and the Ibar-Lepenac system, following weeks of demolition actions on the shores of Gazivode. These actions have caused dissatisfaction among local Serbs and reactions from Belgrade, as well as from the European Union, which in July 2026 requested an urgent halt to the demolitions.
The Ibar River is crucial for the Ibar-Lepenac water system and the Gazivode reservoir, which supplies a large part of Kosovo with water, and this system is also important for electricity generation, economic activities, and irrigation systems.
