Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Wednesday that the bridge across the Ibar connecting the two parts of the divided city of Mitrovica needs to be opened.

The bridge has been closed to vehicles for years. It is under the control of KFOR whose troops also patrol the area around the bridge on both sides of the river.

Kurti told a meeting of his cabinet a day after the release of a report on the state of the bridge that he would continue coordinating its opening with Pristina’s international partners. He said that the opening of the bridge is not directed against anyone, including those international partners.

US Ambassador in Pristian Jeff Hovenier and others from the international community have spoken out against the opening of the bridge, citing security concerns. KFOR has said that it will respond to any security developments.

The authorities in Pristina have been calling for the opening of the bridge for days.