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Contact Group Meeting
Statement on Kosovo
Washington, DC, 8 January 1998
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Foreign Ministers of the Contact Group countries meeting in New York on
24 September voiced their deep concern over tensions in Kosovo and
called on the authorities in Belgrade and the leadership of the Kosovar
Albanian community to join in a peaceful dialogue.
At the Bonn Peace Implementation Council on 9/10 December, the Council
took note
with increasing concern of escalating tensions in Kosovo. The decision
by the delegation of the FRY to leave the PIC meeting did nothing to
diminish this concern.
Against this background, Contact Group Political Directors, meeting in
Washington on 8 January, indicated that the Contact Group would continue
to focus on Kosovo as a matter of high priority. The following
principles underlay the Contact Group's continued interest in the
situation in Kosovo:
- it is for the authorities in Belgrade and the leadership of Kosovar
Albanian community to assume their responsibility to promote stability
and a solution to the problems between them in order to ensure a
peaceful and prosperous future for their people. The Contact Group will
support a mutually agreed solution that respects democratic standards;
- as a first step to reduce tensions, it is essential that dialogue
begins;
- the Contact Group supports neither independence nor the maintenance of
the status quo. It supports an enhanced status for Kosovo within the
FRY. Such a status should fully protect the rights of the Albanian,
Serb, and other residents of Kosovo in accordance with OSCE standards,
Helsinki principles and the UN Charter;
- the Contact Group condemns both violent repression of non-violent
expressions of political views and terrorist actions to achieve
political goals, and strongly urges all sides to seek peaceful solutions
to their difficulties;
- we call on the FRY to address this question urgently. Making concrete
progress to resolve the serious political and human rights issues in
Kosovo is critical for Belgrade to improve its international position
and relations with the international community.
To facilitate dialogue, the Contact Group has decided to consider
further the Kosovo issue and, in particular, how to support existing
efforts to implement the Education Agreement, which would be an
important first step towards the promotion of stability. It will draw on
the views of all those that have been working to resolve the problems of
Kosovo.
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