PRISHTINA, June 16 (KIC) - Following is a statement
of the European Council meeting held in Cardiff, issued on 15 June 1998:
(Begin text)
The European Council condemns in the strongest
terms the use of indiscriminate violence by the FRY and the Serbian security
forces to impose the Belgrade Government's political terms. No State which
uses brutal military repression against its own citizens can expect to
find a place in the modern Europe. President Milosevic bears a heavy personal
responsibility.
The crisis constitutes a serious threat to regional
stability and requires a strong and united international response. The
European Council calls for immediate action from President Milosevic in
four areas in particular:
- to stop all operations by the security forces
affecting the civilian population and to withdraw security units used for
civilian repression;
- to enable effective and continuous international
monitoring in Kosovo;
- to facilitate the full return to their homes
of refugees and displaced persons and unimpeded access for humanitarian
organizations; and
- to make rapid progress in the political dialogue
with the Kosovo Albanian leadership.
The European Council stresses the importance
of President Milosevic taking advantage of his meeting with President Yeltsin
in Moscow on 16 June, which it welcomes, to announce progress on the above
steps and to commit Belgrade to their implementation in full.
Unless these four steps are taken without delay,
a much stronger response, of a qualitatively different order, will be required
from the international community to deal with the increased threat to regional
peace and security.
The European Council welcomed the acceleration
of work in international security organizations on a full range of options,
including those which may require an authorization by the UN Security Council
under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
Given the gravity of the situation, the European
Council has agreed to supplement measures already being implemented against
the FRY and Serbian Governments by taking steps to impose a ban on flights
by Yugoslav carriers between the FRY and EU Member States.
A solution to the problem of Kosovo's status
can only be found through a vigorous political process. The European Council
calls urgently on both sides to return to the negotiating table, with international
involvement, to agree confidence building measures and to define a new
status for Kosovo. The European Union remains firmly opposed to independence.
It continues to support a special status, including a large degree of autonomy
for Kosovo, within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
If an early reduction of tensions is to be achieved,
an immediate cessation of violence will be required as well from the Kosovo
Albanian side. While commending the commitment of Dr Rugova to a peaceful
solution in Kosovo, the European Council calls on the Kosovo Albanian leadership
to state clearly its rejection of violent attacks and acts of terrorism.
The European Union will play its part in stopping the flow of money and
weapons to Kosovo Albanian armed groups. The European Council calls on
neighboring States, whose security is a vital factor for the European Union,
to ensure that their territory is not used in support of Kosovo Albanian
armed activity.
The European Union has been concerned from the
outset at the human cost of the fighting in Kosovo. The European Council
agreed to take a comprehensive approach to solving the refugee problem
within the region, based on the right of all the refugees from Kosovo to
return to their homes in conditions of security. The European Council pledged
to continue close cooperation with UNHCR and ICRC, in the first instance
to provide immediate assistance from the European Community and from Member
States to refugees and displaced persons.
Refugee return will require close international
monitoring to generate confidence on the part of those returning that the
rule of law has been re-established. The European Council decided that
the Union would play its full part in an increased international monitoring
effort. The European Council urges Belgrade to allow full access for investigations
by international forensic experts to clarify the circumstances in which
civilians have died. The FRY Government also has an obligation to allow
the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to
investigate thoroughly any possible violation of international humanitarian
law in Kosovo.
The European Council expressed its full support
for Felipe Gonzalez as its Special Representative to the FRY and called
on President Milosevic to receive him as soon as possible in order to discuss
the full range of the FRY's relations with the EU, including the democratization
of the FRY. The European Council also supported the early return of the
long-term OSCE missions. The European Council warmly welcomed the outcome
of the Parliamentary elections in Montenegro as an endorsement of the reform
process pursued by Djukanovic and agreed to continue EU support.
(End text)
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