EAPC Meeting Budapest, Hungary 30 May 2001

Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Nadezhda Mihailova Distinguished colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, In the context of today's broad topic of cooperative security in the Euro-Atlantic Area I will focus mainly on the burning issue of the situation in the Western Balkans and especially in the Republic of Macedonia. The Kosovo crisis flared up about a hundred kilometers away from Bulgaria. The current armed clashes in the Republic of Macedonia are just a couple of kilometers from our borders. We welcome the agreement signed yesterday in the Republic of Macedonia. However, the risks for the region and for the European security have not decreased. Even after yesterday's promising results of Mr. Solana's visit to Skopje substantive dialogue has not yet outpaced the destabilizing tendencies. Time is not our ally and it is running out quickly. It should be clear that there is no acceptable alternative to the political solution of the crisis. An escalating military confrontation is definitely not an option. If continued, it can lead to grave and irreversible consequences and a fundamentally different situation. There is a serious risk of deepening divisions along ethnic lines and deterioration of the conflict into a civil war. Alongside the efforts of the Macedonian political parties, the international community should take more concrete responsibilities in the Republic of Macedonia to prevent such a scenario. NATO and the EU as leading factors should do their best to be at least one step ahead of the events. We believe that the Macedonian political parties still have resources for reaching a lasting political solution. The bottom-line is clear and it is the preservation of the territorial integrity of the country. It is of vital importance for the ethnic Albanian political factor in the Republic of Macedonia to make sure that any terrorist or other extremist means to pursue their demands are immediately abandoned. Against this background we have to continue tackling other persistent major sources of instability: The Kosovo problem which is of key importance for the regional stability as a whole; The need to redefine the problematic relationship between Montenegro and Serbia; The challenges to the Dayton process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bulgaria actively supports and contributes to the efforts of the Alliance to promote peace and self-sustained stability in the Western Balkans. We reconfirm our commitment to increase our participation in the NATO-led peace support operations in the region. Along the same lines Bulgaria is determined to continue its efforts to add substance in implementing NATO's South-Eastern Europe Initiative. The fundamental solution for the Western Balkans is not in redrawing borders and creating new states, but in building societies on clear democratic foundations with robust institutions. The most efficient long-term strategic instrument to this end is the process of NATO and EU enlargement with the leading candidates from South-Eastern Europe. An invitation to the countries generating stability in the region and capable to make a tangible contribution in real terms is the best investment in security the Alliance can make. Bulgaria is willing and able to assume such responsibilities and NATO will receive clear geo-strategic benefits in terms of crisis management in the Western Balkans. Our membership will be a win-win development responding to the common interest of the Euro-Atlantic democratic community. Thank you for your attention!