Kosovo 26 June 2003

Speech by NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson during the visit of the North Atlantic Council to Kosovo (Introduction inaudible) LORD ROBERTSON: A little bit of me will always be in Kosovo, because so much of my time and my life was devoted to the issues involving this part of Europe. That's why I'm encouraged today to come here with all of the North Atlantic Council, the 26 Ambassadors of the enlarged NATO coming here to underline our commitment to Kosovo and to its people and to the objective of a multi-ethnic democracy where once there was only violence and ethnic trouble. We won't be content until we see that multi-ethnic society develop, where people of all races and background and ethnic origin can walk the streets happily and in safety, as they can in every other part of Europe. In the briefing today from Mr. Steiner and from the representatives of UNMIK show that there is great potential here. The international community has invested heavily in safety and security of the people here. The vast majority of people who are living in Kosovo today would not be here if the international community had not come to their rescue in 1999. And all that we ask now is that people recognize that the future is in the hands of the people here and that they must show the tolerance and the understanding of others that was not there in 1999 and which triggered off the conflict at that time. So both the forces of KFOR who will remain with that objective very clearly in mind and in sufficient number to maintain the strength of forces that we stand for and I pay tribute to Mr. Steiner in this period here as well, and to those who support UNMIK and the various elements of the international community for what they have done. But the future lies in the hands of the people of Kosovo themselves. The world is watching and the world is waiting and the time is now to make the changes that are required. Q: (inaudible)... Lord Robertson, can you give sort of an idea, how long would it take to build this multi-ethnic society and what the current situation is, bearing in mind that the contemporary (inaudible)... the position of the (inaudible)... in jail, living in concentration camps. ROBERTSON: Well, I said, when I came here, the first time that we were talking (inaudible)... in a couple of years, and it took a whole year. But now, there are democratic institutions here in Kosovo. Elected by the people. There are local elected leaders and politicians from the different ethnic groups and it is their responsibility to make sure that the obligations they took on, are satisfied and that peace and stability is guaranteed for everybody who calls Kosovo their home. So the time is now to achieve that and that is why we have invested so much in the local community. So with these new institutions, both local government and the Kosovo Assembly, the time has come for people to take true responsibility for making sure that this is a multi-ethnic society and I'm glad that at the (inaudible)... last weekend in Thessaloniki where I was there as well. The first time a Secretary General of NATO has been at a European Summit and I was there because we were talking about the Western Balkans, about Bosnia and about Kosovo and about how all of those countries in the region who aspire to be part of the European integrated structure. So NATO is part of that. We have done so much, we are doing so much, but we have high expectations of what the people themselves must do and they must do it and they must start doing it now. Q: (inaudible)... ROBERTSON: The Kosovo Protection Corps has a very valuable role to play in Kosovo. It is a civic emergency organization led by somebody of great stature and that is what its role must be. The international community does not see it as being some embryonic army and we will not see it in that way. It has a civic role and a valuable one at that. And it must be clear that those who would use the uniform for criminal purposes and that will be the strong message that General Ceku, when we, the North Atlantic Council meet him this afternoon. It was a remarkable experiment when it was conceived and it still brought a valuable (inaudible)... in a part of Europe where civc forces are desperately (inaudible)... and therefore, it must be seen to be free from crime and from corruption and doing what it was intended to do. Thank you.