OSCE Chairman urges Kosovo leaders to show will to build tolerant society

PRISTINA, 23 March 2004 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, visiting Kosovo on Monday, condemned violence in all circumstances and said the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government should meet their responsibilities for a stable, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo.

"The violence seen in Kosovo last week is unacceptable," the Chairman-in-Office said. "Violence is not acceptable in democratic societies and it is not welcome on the path to Europe. The perpetrators of such violence should be brought to justice."

During the visit that was conducted jointly with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Minister Passy met the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Harri Holkeri, the Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe, Admiral Gregory Johnson, the Commander of KFOR Lieutenant General Holger Kammerhoff, the President of Kosovo Ibrahim Rugova, Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi, the Speaker of the Assembly Nexhat Daci and the leaders of the major Albanian political parties.

A separate meeting was also held with the Serb political leaders in the province.

The Chairman-in-Office (CiO) said he greatly valued the contribution KFOR had made in maintaining peace and stability in Kosovo, especially in the past week. He pledged the commitment of the OSCE to working with KFOR and other international organizations to tackle immediate needs in Kosovo and root causes of violence. The CiO confirmed the commitment of the OSCE to work for the democratization of Kosovo, including by contributing to the conduct of free and fair Assembly Elections in October 2004.

In meetings with Kosovo's political leaders, the Chairman-in-Office said Kosovo had experienced a setback in its democratic achievements.

"The OSCE would not like to see Kosovo fall prey to tensions that are counter-productive to the aims of its communities," he said. "Kosovo must now seize the initiative and show that it has the will to build a pluralist, tolerant society."

Minister Passy welcomed the initiative by the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government to provide reconstruction aid to people displaced in the recent violence. He also urged the leaders to take further steps to restore dialogue between communities.

"In these circumstances, more is needed. Those communities which suffered the most violence have to feel that they are welcome in Kosovo society, not just tolerated," he said. "We expect an urgent action plan from the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government and would like them to give feedback on how the international community can help."

The Bulgarian OSCE Chairmanship is closely monitoring developments through the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.