Violence a threat to peace and stability in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

BUCHAREST/THE HAGUE, 15 March 2001 - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe strongly condemns the unprovoked acts of violence which groups of extremists are presently committing in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. These acts also constitute an unacceptable violation of the territorial integrity and threaten the peace and stability of the country.

"Stability and security are under growing threat for the people in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana said today. "It is time for us to use all democratic means to put a stop to these violent actions, and to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens of this country."

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Max van der Stoel, said that "as the events in the Balkans during the past 10 years have shown, armed conflict leads to disaster for all concerned, whatever their ethnicity."

"Everything possible has to be done to prevent such an outcome," the High Commissioner said. "Recently, the chances of finding solutions for inter-ethnic differences have greatly improved. It would be a tragedy if the ongoing peaceful dialogue would be replaced by armed struggle."

The OSCE therefore appeals to all Albanians, and especially the Albanian political parties, to oppose the efforts to destabilize the country and to give the ongoing inter-ethnic dialogue a chance.

Information on the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje is available on the OSCE website at: /skopje

For more information, contact the Press and Public Information Section, OSCE Secretariat, tel.: +(43-1) 514-36-180, e-mail: info@osce.org; or Mr. Walter Kemp, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, tel.: +(3170) 312 55 06, fax: +(3170) 363 59 10, e-mail: wkemp@hcnm.org