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Security Council Condemns Terrorist Action in Macedonia
The UN Security Council on Wednesday strongly condemned recent violence by ethnic Albanian armed extremists and voiced support for Macedonia's efforts to curb the violence.
In a presidential statement, the council called on all political leaders in Macedonian, Kosovo and Yugoslavia to "isolate the forces behind the violent incidents."
In a latest incident, three soldiers of the Macedonian armed forces were killed on Sunday.
"The Security Council expresses its deep concern at those events, which constitute a threat to the stability and security not only of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but also of the entire region," the statement said.
The council welcomed steps taken by the NATO-led force in Kosovo (KFOR) to control the border between Kosovo and Macedonia, as well as the ongoing dialogue between Macedonia and KFOR on practical steps to address the immediate security situation and to prevent crossing of the border by extremists.
The statement was issued after a council meeting in which Macedonian Foreign Minister Srgjan Kerim was invited to speak on its government's positions on the border crisis.
Kerim said Macedonia would want to see urgent action by KFOR to restrict the movement of the ethnic Albanian guerrillas, a stronger coordination between KFOR and the Macedonian armed forces and disarmament of the extremists.
Many speakers at the meeting emphasized the importance of respect for Macedonia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Sergei Lavrov hoped that the council will act decisively to prevent the tension from escalating.
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