Permanent Council decides to strengthen OSCE Mission to Skopje

VIENNA, 7 June 2001 (OSCE) - The Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has today decided to further increase the size of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje by ten international personnel, thereby enlarging the size of the Mission to 26 international personnel.

On 22 March 2001, the Permanent Council decided to enhance the strength of the Mission from eight to 16 international personnel. This enhancement was to be in force for a period of six months from that date.

In its decision of 22 March, the Permanent Council referred to reports of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje indicating an upsurge of violent actions by ethnic Albanian extremist groups in the area of the northern border regions in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Permanent Council noted that the additional staff members will work particularly in the border area, with a view to strengthening the capabilities of the Mission to monitor developments along the border and report, and perform other duties in accordance with the Mission's mandate.

Today's decision was taken within this framework, and the further enhancement to 26 is to be for a period of six months as of today.