"Neither Side Should Be Asked to Abandon Their Positions in Advance of Talks", Gelbard Says of Prishtina-Belgrade Dialogue

"Neither Side Should Be Asked to Abandon Their Positions in Advance of Talks",
 Gelbard Says of Prishtina-Belgrade Dialogue

PRISHTINA, May 7 (KIC) - Ambassador Robert S. Gelbard, Special Representative of the
U.S. President and the Secretary of State for implementation of the Dayton Peace
Accords, testified to the European Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee May 6 on the situation in Kosova, the Wireless File, USIS-Prishtina reported
today.
"Neither the Kosovar Albanians, the Serb people, nor the international community can
afford another war in the Balkans. For that reason, the United States condemns the resort
to violence by either side -- Kosovar Albanian extremists or Serb paramilitary police -- to
seek to resolve the Kosovo question by force," Ambassador Gelbard said. "We continue
to believe that the problems of the region can only be resolved through unconditional
dialogue." He reiterated the U.S. position: opposition to independence for Kosovo or a
continuation of the status quo. "Between these two extremes, however, we believe there is
a wide range of possibilities which can only be developed and articulated through dialogue.
We firmly support an enhanced status for Kosovo within the 'FRY' that would provide for
meaningful self-administration. How this is done is for the parties to decide."
Gelbard added, "Although the ultimate responsibility for improving the situation in Kosovo
lies with authorities in Belgrade and the leadership of the Kosovar Albanian community,
there is a significant role for the international community to play as well." He discussed the
Contract Group's latest proposal, which urges the two sides in Kosovo to adopt a
framework for dialogue and a stabilization package. "If President Milosevic begins this
process, we are prepared to work closely with him to begin the process of reintegrating the
'FRY' into international organizations and institutions. The agreement to begin talking --
and concrete progress on key stabilization measures -- are the only clear evidence we can
accept that Belgrade is serious about reaching a political outcome," Gelbard said.
The long statement of the Statement of the Special Representative of the President and
the Secretary of State for Implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords before the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on Europe, on May 6, 1998, offers a
comprehensive picture of what has happened in Kosova in the last couple of months, too.
"I will focus the bulk of my remarks this afternoon on developments in Kosovo and our
bilateral and multi-lateral efforts to stop the violence and get dialogue on a political solution
for Kosovo started. Our interests in achieving these goals quickly are based not only on
our concern for the people of Kosovo, but on the impact on the surrounding regions and
the need to ensure that our substantial investment in the Bosnian Peace Process is not
threatened by renewed inter-ethnic violence in the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"
("FRY")", Ambassador Gelbard said initially.
Kosovo - Deteriorating Security Situation Following is the text of Gelbard's statement
under this subtitle:
"We remain deeply concerned about the situation in Kosovo and the potential for further
violence there. The escalating conflict threatens wider regional stability. Albania -- which
only recently returned from the brink of anarchy -- and the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (FYR Macedonia) are particularly vulnerable. The United States and other
members of the international community have made a significant investment in the stability
of South- Central Europe. And, we are determined to see that these efforts succeed.
Securing a political solution to the problem of Kosovo is a fundamental objective of U.S.
policy toward the region. since the outbreak of serious violence in February, the level of
tension, inter-ethnic hostility, and arms in the province of Kosovo have continued to rise. In
late February, in retaliation for an ambush of Serb police by individuals believed to belong
to the so-called "Kosovo Liberation Army," (UCK-Albanian) -- an attack which left a
number of police dead -- ill-prepared, unprofessional Serb police retaliated immediately,
attacking a village where the perpetrators were believed to live. They essentially went on a
rampage, killing entire families in the Drenica region. Rather than attempt to locate and
arrest the perpetrators of the ambush, Serb Special Police -- paramilitaries -- then were
sent in to reinforce the local police with 20-millimeter cannon. The operation, supported by
attack helicopters and heavy weapons, lasted for a day and resulted in the massacre of
some 80 people, mostly non- combatants. Though the Serb and "FRY" Governments
describe this as a "police action," no democratic country in the world would allow this kind
of behavior by police to go unpunished.
Since that time, there has been no attack of the same scale, but the Belgrade government
has tripled the number of special police -- essentially paramilitary units -- deployed to
Kosovo and has recently deployed Yugoslav Army (VJ) infantry, armor and artillery units,
in depth, on the borders and to key hot spots in the interior. This is a substantial escalation
in light of the signal it sends: that Belgrade is prepared to use the full force of the military
against its own citizens.
The deployments on the border with Albania are particularly troubling. We recognize the
right of all nations to protect their borders. That said, it is hard to reconcile Belgrade's
stated desire to prevent or stop cross-border smuggling of weapons -- most of which is
reportedly carried out by small groups of men through remote mountain passes -- with the
large-scale deployment of tanks and artillery to the border. This type of force is
incompatible with the mission. Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Belgrade has
issued a threatening public statement accusing the government of Albania of conspiring to
undermine the territorial integrity of the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."
We, along with our Contact Group partners, have made clear to Belgrade that we consider
this a dangerous provocation and warned the government in no uncertain terms against
staging any cross-border operations into Albania or FYR Macedonia. In response to
Belgrade's use of excessive force and the lack of movement toward unconditional
dialogue, the U.N. Security Council adopted March 31 an arms embargo against the
"FRY," blocking planned arms purchases by Belgrade. This embargo also prohibits the
sale or provision of weapons or training for groups engaged in terrorist activities.
Responsibility for enforcement lies with neighboring states and arms-exporting countries.
The United States opposes introduction of further weapons into the region, either to
Belgrade or to extremist groups, as increased violence will only make it more difficult to
bring about negotiations and a political solution to the already bitter dispute over Kosovo's
status.
Even in the face of provocation, however, governments have a greater responsibility for
ensuring that the rule of law is respected and the rights of its citizens protected than armed
extremist groups. Belgrade's failure to uphold that responsibility has made Kosovo an
international problem, and we and our allies have no intention of standing by and ignoring
continued repression and escalation of violence into war.", the part of Gelbard's statement
on the deteriorating security situation in Kosova concludes.
Ambassador Gelbard spoke also about what he called Belgrade's tactics which produced
"increased radicalization".
Despite repeated warnings by the United States, our Contact Group partners, the
European Union and many others, "Belgrade so far has blocked unconditional dialogue",
Gelbard stressed.
"Instead, internal security forces have been reinforced in ways that compound the sense
of intimidation and insecurity on the part of the local Kosovar Albanian community. The
violent activities of the Kosovo Liberation Army have heightened insecurity among Serbs,
and the heavy-handed Belgrade resort to force rather than dialogue is producing
increased radicalization. This trend will only serve to weaken, and ultimately undermine,
the moderate Kosovar Albanian leadership, led by Dr. Ibrahim Rugova -- which
traditionally has advocated non-violent, political solutions.", Clinton's envoy for the Balkans
said "Belgrade's brutal tactics also have helped this formerly unknown group [UÇK] gain
world-wide notoriety and find an increasingly sympathetic audience in Kosovo, among the
Albanian Diaspora in Europe and the United States" Gelbard said.
He went on to reaffirm the U.S. position that it continued to believe that the problems of the
region can only be resolved through unconditional dialogue. "Together with our Contact
Group partners, the European Union and others, the United States has taken steps to
increase the pressure on Belgrade to engage the Kosovar Albanian leadership in
negotiations.", Gelbard said, and elaborated on the measures the Contact Group has
adopted to ensure that the dialogue is initiated.
Gelbard said the U.S. opposes independence for Kosova on grounds that "further
atomization will not contribute to regional peace and security."
"We firmly support an enhanced status for Kosovo within the "FRY" that would provide for
meaningful self-administration. How this is done is for the parties to decide."
In all of the repeated calls for dialogue, "the international community has made clear that it
is not seeking to impose any particular outcome in negotiations. The future of Kosovo is
for the parties themselves to determine. Neither side should be asked to abandon their
positions in advance of talks.", Ambassador Gelbard pointed out.