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Contact Group
Statement on Kosovo
Bonn, 25 March 1998
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- We the Foreign Ministers of Contact Group countries, together with
the Deputy Chairman in Office of the OSCE, the Chairman-in-Office's
personal
representative for the FRY and EU Special Representative, the High
Representative and the representatives of the European Commission, met in
Bonn on March 25 to review developments in Kosovo and to follow-up
decisions
reached at our March 9 London meeting.
- In London, we called on President Milosevic to take rapid and
effective steps to end the violence in Kosovo and commit himself to a
political solution through unconditional dialogue. We adopted an action
plan
to advance these goals, decided on a series of concrete measures, and
agreed
to reconsider these measures if President Milosevic took the steps
required
by the Contact Group.
- We insist that an urgent start be made to the process of
unconditional dialogue with the leadership of the Kosovar Albanian
community, involving federal and republic levels of government. Neither
party should attempt to predetermine the outcome. We expect President
Milosevic to implement the process of unconditional dialogue and take
political responsibility for ensuring that Belgrade engages in serious
negotiations on Kosovo's status.
- Today we have reviewed the situation in Kosovo, including the degree
of compliance by President Milosevic, FRY and Serbian authorities with the
London statement's requirements.
- Since our meeting in London, there has been progress in some areas
of concern, notably some movement in Belgrade's position on dialogue on a
range of issues including the autonomy of Kosovo and the conclusion of the
long-overdue agreement on implementation of the education accord.
- Our overall assessment is that further progress by Belgrade on
certain points in paragraphs 6 and 7 of the London statement requiring
action by the FRY and Serbian governments is necessary. Therefore we have
agreed to maintain and implement the measures announced on March 9,
including seeking adoption by March 31 of the arms embargo resolution
currently under consideration in the United Nations Security Council. We
call upon President Milosevic again to implement fully all the relevant
steps in the London Statement.
- We demand that authoritative delegations from both sides convene
rapidly in order to agree a framework for a substantive negotiation
process
and agree to the participation in the negotiating process of an outside
representative or representatives. We will accept no pretext for delaying
such a process. We reaffirm the willingness of the Contact Group to
facilitate talks, recognizing that international engagement in support of
dialogue is essential to the achievement of a political solution.
- We agree that the Contact Group will meet again in four weeks time
to reassess the situation. Our assessment and subsequent decision will
take
account of a report on compliance to be submitted to the Contact Group by
the Troika of the OSCE, if they agree to our request to prepare such a
report. If President Milosevic takes the steps specified in London, we
will
reconsider existing measures including action in the Security Council to
terminate the arms embargo. If Belgrade fails to meet the London
benchmarks,
and if the dialogue foes not get underway within the next four weeks
because
of the position of the FRY or Serbian authorities, we shall take steps to
apply further measures as announced in London.
- Unless the FRY takes steps to resolve the serious political and
human rights issues in Kosovo, there is no prospect of any improvement in
its international standing. On the other hand, concrete progress to
resolve
the serious political and human rights issues in Kosovo will improve the
international position of the FRY and prospects for normalization of its
international relationships and full rehabilitation in international
institutions. We urge President Milosevic to cooperate fully with the
mission of Mr. Felipe Gonzalez as personal representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office and EU Special Representative. Once the Gonzalez
mission
is underway, it will certainly be possible to address the potential for
FRY
participation in the work of the OSCE.
- We take this opportunity to reaffirm our strong opposition to all
terrorist actions. Violence does not contribute to the search for a
solution
in Kosovo. This applies equally to Serbian police and Kosovar Albanian
extremists. We will use all appropriate elements of pressure and influence
with both sides to ensure that violence does not escalate and that the
serious dispute over Kosovo's status between Belgrade and the Kosovar
Albanian community is resolved strictly through peaceful means. We urge
those outside the FRY who are supplying financial support, arms or
training
for terrorist activity in Kosovo to cease doing so immediately.
- We welcome Dr. Rugova's clear commitment to non-violence and urge
others
in the leadership of the Kosovar Albanian community to make their
opposition
to violence and terrorism both clear and public. Belgrade authorities
cannot, however, justify their repression and violence in Kosovo in the
name
of anti-terrorist activities. We repeat that the way to combat terrorism
is
for Belgrade to offer the Kosovar Albanian community a genuine political
process.
- We applaud the work of Sant'Egidio and of the 3+3 commission in
reaching agreement on measures to implement the 1996 Education agreement.
We
call on all sides to ensure that implementation proceeds smoothly and
without delay, according to the agreed timetable. We are considering what
assistance we can provide to facilitate implementation. We will also
consider measures if either party blocks implementation. We urge all sides
to cooperate with Sant'Egidio on efforts to reduce tensions in other
social
sectors as well.
- The fundamental position of the Contact Group remains the same. We
support neither independence nor the maintenance of the Status Quo as the
end-result of negotiations between the Belgrade authorities and the Kosovo
Albanian leadership on the status of Kosovo. Without prejudging what that
result may be we base the principles for a solution to the Kosovo problem
on
the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and on
OSCE
standards, Helsinki principles, and the UN Charter. Such a solution must
also take into account the rights of the Kosovar Albanians and all those
who
live in Kosovo. We support a substantially greater degree of autonomy for
Kosovo which must include meaningful self-administration.
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