Today's Date:

Eastern Europe

Priština, September 6, 2004

This is my first visit here to Priština and to Kosovo as French Foreign Minister.

I attach a great deal of importance to this visit, despite the difficult circumstances in which I’ve found myself over these past few days and still find myself because of the kidnapping of two of your fellow journalists in Baghdad. As you know, throughout the day – which isn’t over yet – I’ve had a number of meetings with all those who are contributing and going to contribute to Kosovo’s stability and progress: firstly, of course, with General de Kermabon, who has just taken over command of KFOR. Then with the United Nations Secretary-General’s new special representative, Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, Mr Sřren Jessen-Petersen, whose efforts and action we’re wholeheartedly supporting. And also, of course, with President Ibrahim Rugova whom I was pleased to see again since we’d already met about ten years ago, and, as you know, with the Prime Minister, Mr Rexhepi. I’ve just had two meetings, which I also found extremely interesting, with the representatives of the Albanian and Serbian political parties here who are participating in the political debate in Kosovo: one with Mr Thaçi and Mr Haradinaj from the Albanian parties, and the other with four representatives of the Povratak coalition.

Kosovo has undergone some very difficult moments over the past months and years. (...) In addition to the great difficulties, the suffering, there's of course what happened in March, which was both very tragic and very serious. I honestly believe we have to learn all the lessons from this. And the first is the legitimate requirement for security for Kosovo's Serb community. This in any case is the feeling I’ve encountered today. I feel that Kosovo is at the beginning of a new stage, is starting afresh. And I feel too that there's a new mood in the Balkans, at last! I got this feeling the other day in Zagreb, where they have clearly and unanimously opted for Europe. And I got the same impression in Belgrade during my visit in July, even though they haven't gone as far on the European road yet. I feel we have to embrace this new dynamic, this new mood and that everyone must do so. The people I mentioned also feel this way, first of all special representative Jessen-Petersen and of course, like him, Kofi Annan; General de Kermabon and all those responsible for the stability and security forces; the new European Union representatives and particularly the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, High Representative for the CFSP, Javier Solana. The Kosovans and the elected representatives and those representing the Kosovans must embrace this new dynamic.

REFORMS/PRIORITIES

We must draw on this new dynamic to make a success of the coming reforms and priorities. The first priority is clearly security for everyone, for all the communities, for all the minorities, and freedom of movement. The second priority is to pursue, embark on the economic reforms, making best possible use of the international aid. The third priority is to fight – because this is a European imperative – all forms of crime and corruption.

And thanks to this new attitude – and I'd need to confirm it – I feel that it's possible to create new mutual confidence between all the components of Kosovo society. But confidence can't be decreed from on high, can't be imposed by the United Nations or Europe, it has to be built up at grassroots level, with people. The groups must make gestures towards each other. For example, the Albanian Kosovans need to make gestures towards the Serb community with respect to the important, vital decentralization project. And then there are gestures in the other direction which the Serb community must make, demonstrating their confidence in Kosovo by participating in the political process.

KOSOVO/EUROPE

That's honestly what I feel and what I wanted to tell you at the end of this first visit (...). There's one thing I am sure about, thinking about Kosovo and the young people living here who need security and a future: the only future which will guarantee peace, stability and, security is a European one. These aren't just fine words I'm saying here, I'm talking about what's been done, what we have proved in the rest of Europe, over fifty years. The European project doesn't erase differences, doesn't erase identities. Each of us has kept our own identity, roots, language, difference. But together we have something more and something stronger: this project, the fact that we belong to Europe. And for fifty years, without there being a single contrary example, the European project has been a project of shared peace and progress. This project is a possibility open to Kosovo, if you want it to be. That's the feeling I'm going to go away with this evening, committing myself, too, to ensuring European solidarity, and particularly to ensuring that best possible use is made of the money Europe provides in the name of this solidarity in order to improve the Kosovans’ daily lives through the building of houses, roads, airports and also for education.

DECENTRALIZATION

No, no sacrifices. There's [a need for] a gesture of confidence and for people to listen to each other. The decentralization plan is very important, I even said it was vital. This plan is on the table. It's that of the Kosovo authorities who have worked with the Council of Europe and the Contact Group. This plan isn't a take-it-or-leave-it one, it has to be discussed (...). It must be improved. Everyone has to implement it. So the representatives of the Serb community have to be able to improve it and contribute ideas and suggestions which must be taken into account. I can even imagine experts from Belgrade, experts from the relevant areas, attending and playing a useful part in some meetings. This is the gesture of confidence I call on the Kosovans to make and which will justify, lead to other gestures of confidence this time from the Serbs, so that everyone participates in the political process.

FRENCH HOSTAGES

I'm following the situation hour by hour and it's because I can follow it hour by hour thanks to all the means of modern technology that I have kept to my visit today to Priština. I'm of course in touch with all our teams working on the ground, and in particular in Baghdad, based at our embassy, whose personnel has been increased, and the coordination team I set up and myself headed for several days in Amman. As I speak, we continue to believe that a positive outcome is possible. As I said yesterday [after my meetings] with President Chirac and the Prime Minister in Paris, we have to work, we are continuing to work very cautiously, prudently because this caution, prudence and discretion are essential for Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot's safety.

There's a mass of rumours, reports doing the rounds and I'm not surprised by anything that's been said in the past few days. I have no comment. I can simply tell you that we are working discreetly, mindful of the need for caution, to maintain the safety of our two compatriots, because this today is essential in order to get their release.

I'm ready to go at any moment, not to Iraq, but to the region, particularly to Amman where the coordination team I set up is still at work.

FRANCE/NATO/IRAQ

Don't be surprised that we are playing our role, one of the most important in NATO, in both the Balkans and Afghanistan, when it comes to the peacekeeping and peace-enforcing operations which from the outset have been undertaken in accordance with United Nations international law. Some situations are different: when it comes to Iraq, I can say and confirm that there won't be any French soldiers in Iraq. But, as we have shown by restoring diplomatic relations, we are ready, under certain conditions, to participate in the political and economic reconstruction process. In this region, as throughout the world, we shall continue to defend, be committed to the freedom, sovereignty and dignity of the peoples.

KOSOVO/FINAL STATUS

As the French minister, my ministry is taking part in the Contact Group, we’d like, for many reasons, to see a more substantive dialogue between Priština and Belgrade. I say in Priština today what I said in Belgrade a few weeks ago: Kosovo’s stability and its political and economic reconstruction depend on what’s called “standards before status”. I think we must keep to this order, be pragmatic, respect all the views being expressed and which I’ve heard today. I think this “standards” method, i.e. reforms before status, has to be embarked on dynamically. Perhaps by choosing even clearer priorities. Nothing prevents us from setting future objectives, like those I spoke about myself vis-ŕ-vis Europe, which is a possibility open to Kosovo. And the time will come for discussing the status. I recommend we put things in the right order, so that this debate begins against a background which is as calm as possible. What I want simply to say here today is that whatever it is, the status will have to take on board a number of realities and imperatives. It will have to contribute to the stability of this region and of Europe. It will have to enable Kosovo’s laws, rules to be in line with those of Europe. It will have to guarantee the protection of minorities.

FRANCE/NATO

It so happens that France has command of the NATO forces in Kosovo and in Afghanistan at the same time, which, moreover, is a significant commitment, as my colleague and friend Michčle Alliot-Marie emphasized both here in Priština and in Afghanistan a few days ago, but it’s also normal for one of the countries making the largest contribution to NATO’s peacekeeping and peace-enforcing missions in external theatres. It’s a normal commitment for a NATO member country./.