Summary: July 3, 2003: Statement to the Security Council of the United Nations by H.E. Ambassador Marcello Spatafora, Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN on behalf of the European Union. The Situation in Kosovo (New York)
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The acceding countries Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, the associated countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, as well as the EFTA countries, members of the European Economic Area, Iceland and Liechtenstein, declare that they align themselves with this statement.
Mr. President,
Since this is the first time that I take the floor under your Presidency, allow me first to congratulate you on the assumption of your duties. I would also like to extend my congratulations to the previous President, the Russian Federation, for the excellent job he performed.
Mr. President,
We welcome the report of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary- General in Kosovo, Mr. Michael Steiner, and would like to express our sincere appreciation for the work he has done in order to give full implementation to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999).
Mr. President,
The EU's strong commitment towards the Western Balkans Region was confirmed at the EU-Western Balkans Summit of Thessaloniki, on 21 June. On that occasion the European Council reiterated its determination to fully support the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries which will become an integral part of the EU family once they meet the established criteria.
A Stabilization and Association process enriched with instruments drawn from the EU pre-accession strategy will be at the center of this process, whose pace will depend on the determination of each of the countries concerned to introduce and implement the necessary reforms.
The "Declaration" and "The Thessaloniki Agenda for the Western Balkans", which were adopted at the Summit, provide the framework for moving towards EU integration. It will be up to the Italian Presidency to start translating into concrete actions the political commitments taken by the EU in Thessaloniki.
Mr. President,
The EU will ensure that Kosovo's European prospects are not held back by the issue of final status. But before that, a democratic, multiethnic and multicultural Kosovo, with full respect for the rule of law and for human and minority rights, will have to be built. To this end the EU and the Western Balkan countries have reiterated in the Summit "Declaration" their support for the full implementation of UNSCR 1244 (1999) and for the "standards before status" strategy, which remain the bases of
EU policy in Kosovo.
In this context, as Secretary General Kofi Annan states in his report of 26 June, much remains to be done to ensure active assistance, both at the central and local levels, of the return process. The EU supports Kosovo's economic recovery and development and reconfirms its commitment to get the privatization process under way.
The EU also welcome the willingness of the leadership in Belgrade and Pristina to begin a direct dialogue on practical issues of mutual interest and it hopes that this dialogue can be launched as early as possible.
Mr. President,
Political stability in Kosovo requires democratic, stable and functioning local institutions. We therefore fully support the transfer of the competencies set out in Chapter V of the Constitutional Framework to the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government, depending on the capacity of these institutions to handle them.
Our common objective is to build effective, transparent and accountable institutions to the benefit of all communities, while adhering to the obligations stemming from UNSCR 1244 (1999) and the Constitutional framework and not pre-judging the future status.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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