Summary: January 18, 2001: Security Council. Public Meeting on the situation in Kosovo. Statement by Ambassador Pierre Schori, Permanent Representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union (New York)
Mr President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia), as well as the associated countries of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey and the EFTA countries of Iceland and Liechtenstein align themselves with this statement.
Firstly, the EU would like to once again thank Dr Bernard Kouchner for the remarkable work he has carried out over the past years in difficult cirumstances, and pledge our full support to Mr Hans Haekkerup, the new Special Representative of the Secretary General in Kosovo.
The EU welcomes the progress made in Kosovo in the implementation of Resolution 1244 and fully supports the continued efforts of the new SRSG to establish democratic, self-governing institutions in Kosovo in order to provide substantial autonomy for the people of Kosovo in accordance with UNSCR 1244.
The EU also supports the efforts to increase the dialogue and cooperation between UNMIK and relevant institutions of the FRY and welcomes the democratic progress achieved in the FRY and in Serbia, most recently through the victory of the democratic forces in the legislative elections in Serbia on 23 December, 2000. The EU expects that this progress will enable essential political, economic and social reforms to be carried out within the FRY, something which could also contribute to reducing
tensions in Kosovo and in the Presevo-area of southern Serbia.
In this respect, the EU reiterates its call on the Yugoslav and Serb authorities to find the appropriate legal channels for a speedy release of all Kosovo-Albanian prisoners held on political grounds. Such a release could also constitute an important step towards the beginning of a dialogue between representatives of Kosovo and Belgrade.
Mr President,
Action to combat violence and enhance the security situation for everyone in Kosovo should remain a top priority for UNMIK and KFOR. It is deplorable that men, women and children in Kosovo continue to be killed because of their ethnic background and that moderate opinions expressed by politically engaged Kosovars can be dangerous to their safety.
The EU vigorously condemns the use of violence, extremism and any act which makes the co-existence of communities more difficult and which adversely affects regional stability. In this context, the EU encourages further confidence building measures between the different ethnic communities in Kosovo and fully supports the right of all displaced people from Kosovo to return to their homes in peace, security and dignity.
An important aspect of enhancing the security situation in Kosovo is to reduce the overall level of criminality and to enforce the respect of the rule of law. To this end, more than 800 civilian police, as well as judges and prosecutors, from EU Member States are serving in Kosovo. The EU also supports the work of the Kosovo Police Service School to train local police and police trainers. Furthermore, EU Member States remain the largest troop contributors to KFOR, which continues to play a
crucial role in maintaining stability and security in Kosovo.
Another priority for the European Union is to contribute to the reconstruction and economic development of Kosovo. The EU is by far the single largest donor providing assistance to Kosovo and is at the forefront of the reconstruction effort. In this regard, the EU believes that it is important to continue to create favourable conditions for the economic development of Kosovo through the creation of viable and efficient economic structures, including in the fiscal area.
Mr President,
The EU strongly condemns the violent action by ethnic Albanian armed groups in the Presevo-area of southern Serbia, and reiterates the call expressed in the statement of the President of the Security Council of last 19 december for an immediate and complete cessation of violence in this area. The EU calls upon all involved to exercise maximum restraint and to resolve any differences exclusively through peaceful dialogue.
The EU welcomes specific measures taken by KFOR and UNMIK to address the problem, including increased surveillance of the administrative boundary.
The EU also welcomes the commitment of the Yugoslav authorities to respect the provisions of UNSCR 1244 and the Military Technical Agreement and encourages the efforts to initiate confidence building measures in order to stabilize the situation in the area.
In order to further contribute to the stabilization of the situation, the EU is currently undertaking efforts to increase its monitoring presence in the affected area.
I thank you, Mr President.
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