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New Yugoslav Government Upholds UN Resolution on Kosovo
The new Yugoslav government fully honors UN Security Council resolution 1244, and considers it "the main and only basis for a just and lasting solution" to the Kosovo issue, but "a thorough and prudent manner" is needed to approach such an issue, a senior Yugoslav diplomat said November 16.
Vladislav Mladenovic, charge d'affaires of the Yugoslav Mission to the United Nations, told an open Security Council meeting, "The new government of my country fully subscribes to Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) and considers it the main and only basis for a just and lasting solution."
At present, "it is of utmost importance to proceed urgently to a comprehensive and consistent implementation of Security Council resolution 1244," he said.
This is the first speech by Mladenovic since the new president assumed power in Belgrade and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was admitted into the world body. Kosovo is a Serbian province in Yugoslavia.
Mladenovic listed several priorities of "special significance" in the resolution implementation:
-- The return of all those who fled Kosovo and the creation of a secure environment.
"Independent as they are, the two requests constitute the key for the preservation of the multi-ethnic character of Kosovo and Metohija, and for the normalization of the situation in the province," he said.
-- Conclusion of an agreement on the status of the international presence in Kosovo.
"The problems relative to the status of their members would be regulated in this way and necessary conditions would be created for all-round cooperation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Kosovo Force (KFOR)," he said.
"My country is ready to commence dialogue and cooperation with the representatives of the international community," he said.
-- Just solution for all detainees and the clarification of the fate of missing persons which would strengthen confidence and reconciliation.
-- Holding of the forthcoming elections in the Yugoslav constituent Republic of Serbia in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija as well.
-- Return of a limited contingent of the Army of Yugoslavia and police to Kosovo and Metohija.
-- Solution of the status of para-diplomatic representative offices in Kosovo and Metohija in accordance with the Vienna Convention and respect for the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
But on the final status of Kosovo, he said, "We consider that it would be premature to address these issues now with the basic problems still unresolved."
The Yugoslav government holds that "in the present circumstances of an extremely bad security situation and the lack of conditions for a mass return of displaced persons, those issues would be difficult to deal with," he said.
"As experience has shown, proper and just solutions are difficult to achieve if major political problems are addressed in a simplified and hasty manner and without respect for different interests," he said.
Therefore, the new president and the new government of Yugoslavia "call on the international community to approach the question of Kosovo and Metohija in a thorough and prudent manner and in accordance with Security Council resolution 1244," he said.
The Security Council adopted the resolution in June last year, authorizing the presence of the UNMIK and the KFOR in Kosovo, and calling for the full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Balkan country.
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