NATO, Brussels 18 Oct. 2006

Press Briefing with the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the United Nations Secretary General Special Envoy for the Future Status Process for Kosovo, Mr. Martti Ahtisaari. Multimedia Audio of the interview (.MP3/20.596kb) JAMES APPATHURAI (NATO Spokesperson): The Secretary General and President AHTISAARI will each make brief opening statements and then we'll have time for questions. The Secretary General. JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER (NATO Secretary General): Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I can say that as usual it was a pleasure and a privilege for the North Atlantic Council in KFOR format, that means as you know with all the KFOR contributors, to again be briefed by President AHTISAARI on his responsibilities in the framework of the future status of Kosovo. President AHTISAARI will speak for himself. The NATO message... the message of NATO and the partners I must say was and is clear and that is that KFOR is there to stay; that KFOR is prepared for eventualities in the sense that everybody in Kosovo should realize that in this important and crucial period it is essential that calm prevails in Kosovo. KFOR's strength will be the same. It is also clear that KFOR will have a role to play also in a certain period after. There is hopefully a status settlement at a certain stage. That is the most important message I think the NATO allies and the partners could give to President AHTISAARI. The second element I would like to mention in the political sense is that it was clear, as expected, that NATO and its partners fully support what President AHTISAARI is doing; support his line supporting the proposals he might wish to make at a certain stage. In other words, full political support for President AHTISAARI and the underlining (inaudible) as far as KFOR is concerned, KFOR's position, KFOR's strength, including north of the Ibar River, KFOR staying up to strength and KFOR staying in Kosovo also for a period after the status settlement. Thank you. APPATHURAI: President AHTISAARI. MARTTI AHTISAARI (Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Future Status Process for Kosovo): Ladies and gentlemen I see familiar faces here. You seem to be either following me or I'm following you because we met in Luxembourg and you heard me already then explaining what we are up to. I think this has been a very important meeting with the Secretary General this morning and thereafter in the North Atlantic Council where I had the opportunity to brief and answer questions. There were plenty of those from the membership. I think it is extremely important that I have also enjoyed the co-operation of NATO throughout my assignment. I have had liaison personnel from NATO, both civilian and military, at my disposal and that has facilitated the contacts and liaison with the Secretary General and his staff. And I'm heartened by the warm support that I got from the audience today. Everyone realizes where we are at the moment. I have been tasked by the contact group after their ministerial meeting in New York on the 20th of September to start preparing ideas for a settlement. I will be discussing that issue with the contact group later on this month. And as I said in Luxemburg, I intend to have another meeting with them during the first half of next month. As far as... I come and I plan my activities... the 2006 is still my target date. I haven't heard anything else from the contact group and I don't want to participate in any hypothetical speculation about possible elections or referendum I might have. At the moment my plan is to be ready to present the plan before the end of the year. Thank you. APPATHURAI: The first question was there. Q: A question for General Secretary. (Inaudible)... Yesterday some of Foreign Ministers in Luxemburg said that if European Union couldn't make one step towards Serbia in order to continue negotiation (inaudible) agreement, maybe NATO could do something and that it could be invitation for Serbia on Riga Summit for membership in Partnership for Peace. And for President AHTISAARI: yesterday Solana High Representative said that you will probably take in consideration the new political situation in Serbia regarding elections. So is it for you fact that in Serbia will be elections in fact important or relevant? And if it is, will you take this in consideration? Thank you. DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Let me give the honour to President AHTISAARI first. AHTISAARI: Thank you Jaap. I'm seeing Javier Solana this afternoon so I have to ask if he has turned into a mind reader. Knowing my friend, I don't think so because what I... I saw reporting from Luxemburg by your news agency saying that they have said that I decide on the time frame. That's not entirely true because we have a contact group that has been there from the beginning and we have four permanent members in that group - let's not forget that - and they have been publicly taking position on the time frame. So I don't need to start speculations at all on the time frame because it's... we have heard about the elections; that they are in March, they are in July, they are in October next year. I'm simply concentrating at the moment getting my part of the work ready. It's not yet ready. All those news that the plans are already ready they are not true. We have preliminary ideas and those will be floated and discussed with the contact group and with New York, because I have to go to New York also in the first half of November. So bear with me, but I'm not going to participate in any speculation of any election and we will see when we come to that and we first of all hear are there going to be some elections? Everyone is speaking of them, but I haven't seen any firm dates of any elections. DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Let me answer your question that I'm always very keen on EU advice, as I hope the European Union will be keen on NATO advice. All jokes apart, when we discuss President AHTISAARI's trajectory and when we discuss Kosovo, it is of course important that the European Union and NATO, because they both will be playing a very important role after a status settlement hopefully has been reached, that EU and NATO are in close touch. But coming to your specific question; you know as far as Serbia is concerned, my mantra, and that is that Serbia will have to deliver. I would very much appreciate to hear Prime Minister Koštunica saying publicly that Mladic should be arrested. I would very much appreciate to hear him say publicly that those who support Mladic should be tracked down and arrested. I should want us to... not only to see an action plan on paper, but I would like to see action. I mean action plan is fine, but action is what is necessary. Having said that, it is important; it is important if you look at this from a regional perspective and I'm telling you nothing new now and I'm not doing anything away from conditionality. I spoke to Mrs. Carla Del Ponte here in the NATO buildings the day before yesterday that I think and I hope because I think that's the only recipe for lasting security and stability in the region and that very much includes Serbia as a very important player, that at the end of the day Euro-Atlantic integration - read membership of the European Union and membership of NATO - when the conditions are fulfilled, I think by the way that my friend Martti AHTISAARI in full agreement here already much longer than we were in our present incarnations, that that is the only recipe for lasting security and stability in a region I do consider part of Europe. But do not forget that there are conditions. Q: (Inaudible)... NATO used to say before that they wait for the advice and ideas of Mr. AHTISAARI about the future role of NATO after the status. Did you discuss that today or possibility that NATO trains the future army of Kosovo after the status? And for Mr. AHTISAARI also: the statement of contact group is also that your proposal would serve as a base(?) to move forward. Somebody is reading this as a new beginning. Is your proposal going to be a new beginning for future talks or is that going to be the beginning of end of the process? AHTISAARI: My... DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Yes please. AHTISAARI: I don't want to start interpreting too much what the contact group says or doesn't say, but I would assume that what they were saying was that the plan should then be put forward, the process should move forward. Of course it has to be presented to the parties and we have to hear when that moment comes and hear their views. But it is supposed to be going to the Security Council so I thought that that was a reference for that. DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I think I should not publicly comment or let alone speculate on what was discussed. But you've touched on important elements. Let me repeat again that I'm sure that in a certain period after a status settlement, there will be a role for KFOR; there will be a role for NATO. I'm also convinced that if you discuss the security situation in the longer term, NATO for instance has a lot of experience in mentoring and training, so I could very well imagine that NATO in that sense would play a role. But I think I should not, let me end where I started, speculate on what and how that exactly would look like. Important is for the here and the now that KFOR does its job; that KFOR is prepared; that KFOR keeps its strength; that KFOR will certainly play a role for a certain period after a status settlement; and that I'm quite sure that if you discuss security in the longer term, there might certainly be a role to be defined, but that depends of course on proposals President AHTISAARI will do for the North Atlantic Alliance. But again, that is... let's first concentrate and support for the short term what President AHTISAARI has in mind and what he'll be proposing. So let's take things as they come and step by step. Q: Yes Mr. Scheffer. European Union almost unanimously considers that status of Kosovo should be postponed. Does anybody consult you as NATO Secretary General? Because if calm doesn't prevail as you just sent the message, it's you who will deal with possible problems in the field. And to Mr. AHTISAARI - your personal opinion. Are elections in Serbia credible reason to break the promise and break the principles of contact group? DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Let me start by telling you that as I read - and of course I'm in close and permanent touch with my friends in the European Union, be it Javier Solana, be it the European Commission - but I think you're not on the right track when you state that the European Union has decided and has said anything on timetable. Q: (Inaudible)... DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I have... I have written reports about speculations by certain people, by certain Ministers. But let me echo President AHTISAARI. I think it is unhelpful and not productive to do this. He is the one who is leading the process. The European Union is not leading and NATO is not leading. So let's be a bit on the modest side here. Let NATO - and I don't speak for the European Union; I speak for NATO - let NATO do what is its responsibility. KFOR has a Security Council mandate with the United Nations that KFOR do well what it is supposed to do and that, from time to time as you know, that's already quite a challenge. So I am not going to speculate. I am not a mind reader. AHTISAARI: I thought that I answered your question because there is nothing more to actually explain, except to repeat that my plan hasn't changed. I'm implementing the plan which we have had for throughout this year and I'm making myself ready to move according to that. APPATHURAI: Last question. Q: Sorry to insist Mr. AHTISAARI, but I just wanted to have your reaction about what the Finnish Foreign Minister said yesterday at the end of the EU meeting in Luxembourg, saying that anyhow if there was any election or whatsoever in Serbia, it would delay the whole delivery... the delivery of your report by a few weeks. Anyhow could you confirm this is a reasonable guess? AHTISAARI: No. I think he's a grown man. He's younger than I am, but... (LAUGHTER) AHTISAARI: ... so I have a bit of a hand over him. But I think you have to ask him what he meant. I'm not going to be a mind reader here. Look - we are living in a democratic, perhaps the most democratic part of the world in Europe ladies and gentlemen - and I think part of that is that we discuss these issues. And I think my distinguished Minister is known to be having his own website where he discusses continuously world issues. So ask him what he meant. But listen what I say. My message is very clear. There is no change in my plans and I could be criticized if I'm not ready when I should be ready, but I intend to be ready when called for. Thank you. DE HOOP SCHEFFER: Thank you very much.