OSCE Secretary General expresses sorrow over death of EUMM monitors

VIENNA, 20 July 2001 (OSCE) - The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) deeply regrets the death of three members of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in the north-western part of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

"I learned with great sorrow the confirmation of the death of three members of the European Union Monitoring Mission, a Norwegian, a Slovak and their translator. This tragedy points both to the difficulty of the task of monitoring and to its tremendous importance. Three men have paid the highest price for that mission to be fulfilled", said Jan Kubis, Secretary General of the OSCE. "The OSCE mission and its staff members work shoulder to shoulder with their EUMM colleagues to monitor the situation in the field. Therefore, the EUMM losses are also ours. I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, their colleagues and friends", he added.

With an 18-strong team deployed as monitors in the northern and western parts of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and an additional eight colleagues working together in the OSCE mission, the OSCE is working with a mandate that includes monitoring developments along the borders and the overall situation on the ground, in co-operation with the EUMM.

The OSCE stands ready to continue to support the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in finding a peaceful solution to the crisis.

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For more information or contributions, please contact Josue Anselmo, Spokesperson, OSCE Secretariat, tel.: +43-1 514 36-180, mob. +43-664-325 3698, fax: +43-1 514 36 105, e-mail: info@osce.org.