Agim Bahtiri, the Mayor of Mitrovica municipality, has reacted today to the decision of the European Union Office in Pristina to allocate a €8.5 million grant for northern Serb-majority municipalities. “I have nothing against the decision of the EU Office to allocate grants for municipalities administered by Serbs in the northern part of the Republic of Kosovo. I support this decision and I think that the development grants will contribute to the consolidation and full integration of Serbs in the system of the Republic of Kosovo. However, what led me to issue this statement is the fact that the municipality of Mitrovica has been left aside. Everyone knows, I believe the EU Office too, that the municipality of Mitrovica suffered the biggest damages during the war and had the most serious problems in the post-war period in Kosovo. The municipality of Mitrovica is the poorest municipality in the Republic of Kosovo. As a result of the fragile political and security situation in Mitrovica, there is a lack of genuine investments … I believe that the EU Office in Kosovo should include the municipality of Mitrovica in its development grants,” Bahtiri said.