Summary: February 13, 2001: Security Council. Open Meeting on 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 and the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey as well as the EFTA country member of the EEA of Iceland align themselves with this statement.
Firstly, the EU would like to pledge its full support to Mr Hans Haekkerup, the new Special Representative of the Secretary General in Kosovo as he seeks to address the remaining challenges 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 fully supports the efforts of the SRSG to establish a legal and administrative framework for Kosovo-wide elections, aimed a creating a body of democratically elected representatives of all national communities. The involvement of the people of Kosovo in the formation of their economic, social and political future will bring an important element of accountability and is essential for the long term security and stability of the whole region.
It is the view of the EU that certain steps need to be carried out before elections can be held. These include the implementation of the results of the municipal elections, preparations for a new and inclusive voter registration and the definition of the mandate and composition of a Kosovo-wide assembly as well as other Kosovo-wide institutions.
It is of crucial importance that all ethnic groups participate in the elections. In this regard, the European Union encourages FRY authorities to support the electoral process and exert their influence to ensure the participation of Kosovo Serbs in this process.
Mr. President,
The EU 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 urges Yugoslav and Serb authorities to find the appropriate legal channels for a speedy release of remaining Kosovo Albanian and other prisoners held without charges or on political grounds, as well as the accounting of missing persons from all sides. Such measures could also constitute a significant contribution towards the beginning of a dialogue between representatives of Kosovo and Belgrade. The EU also reiterates its call on FRY/Serbian authorities to comply with
their obligation to fully co-operate with the ICTY.
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.
Mr. President,
The European Union is deeply concerned about the recent upsurge of violence in the town of Mitrovica. Such incidents severely jeopardise confidence building between ethnic communities and undermine the activities of the members of the international community who work in the interest of the people of Kosovo.
Kosovo is benefiting from substantial international political, military and financial support aimed at creating conditions for a peaceful and prosperous future. This support requires the active co-operation of all citizens of Kosovo and their leaders.
Mr. President,
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 contribute more than 60%
of the troops to KFOR, which continues to play a crucial role in maintaining stability and security in Kosovo. The EU is also pleased to note that the efforts of the international community to enhance security and stabilization have been significantly supported by the Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU (Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia) as well as the associated country of Turkey in the form of
contributions of troops, civilian police and other specialists to KFOR and UNMIK.
Another priority for the European Union is to contribute to the reconstruction and economic development of Kosovo. Being by far the single largest donor providing assistance to Kosovo, the European Union has allocated nearly 900 million euros in reconstruction and humanitarian aid since 1998. The EU will remain at the forefront of the reconstruction efforts in Kosovo, having committed 175 million euros for this purpose for the year 2001.
In this regard, the EU believes that it is important to continue to create favourable conditions for the economic development of Kosovo by establishing viable and efficient economic structures, including in the fiscal area.
Mr. President,
The EU strongly condemns the violence and illegal actions by ethnic Albanian armed groups in Southern Serbia and particularly in the Ground Safety Zone, and reiterates its call as expressed in the statement of the President of the Security Council of 19 december 2000 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 is strongly concerned with
increased tensions in the area that could impede Transport Corridor X, which constitutes one of the main northerns outlets of the Balkan countries.
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 FRY authorities to work towards a peaceful settlement and 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. These measures should include the extension of civil rights to ethnic Albanians in the area and concrete steps regarding the posture of FRY/Serb military and police in the area.
In order to further contribute to the stabilization of the situation, the EU is currently considering an enhanced presence of its monitoring mission in the affected area.
I thank you, Mr. President.
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