EUHR Solana comments on ICTY's indictment of Ramush HARADINAJ

Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), made the following statement today on the occasion of the indictment of Ramush Haradinaj, former head of the provisional government of Kosovo, by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY):

"I welcome the decision of Ramush Haradinaj to co-operate with the ICTY, following the announcement today of his indictment. Full co-operation with the Tribunal is imperative for everybody.

The future of Kosovo is the common concern of all Kosovo people and the international community. Kosovo has entered a crucial phase and 2005 is an important year. In this context, I count on the people of Kosovo to react responsibly.

The Kosovo Government, the Kosovo's Institutions and the Kosovo people must now remain focused on the most important challenge ahead: Standards implementation. A review of progress on the Standards implementation is to take place in mid-2005 and a positive outcome would take Kosovo into the process of negotiations on its future status.

The European Union has stayed close to the people of Kosovo throughout their most difficult moments in the recent past and it remains fully committed to the European Perspective of Kosovo. Kosovo is not going back to the situation before 1999. Kosovo needs to move forward to the European Union."

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• EU Presidency Statement - International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia Reports (10/10/2005)