Press Release (98)95 13 August 1998

Statement by NATO Secretary General The NATO Secretary General, Dr. Javier Solana, warmly welcomes the news that the Kosovo Albanians have now formed a new negotiating team. This is a tribute to the skilful leadership of Dr. Ibrahim Rugova. It is very important that negotiations are taken forward quickly by both sides in a spirit of cooperation on the basis of the proposals developed by the Contact Group. In particular, it is imperative that President Milosevic contributes positively to the process, and creates an appropriate environment by ensuring that his security forces behave with restraint. This is a window of opportunity that must not be allowed to pass by.