15 Apr. 2001

Ethnic Albanians release Serb hostages NATO assisted in the hand-over of Serb hostages, who had been held by ethnic Albanian extremists operating in the south of Serbia. The five Serb civilians and soldiers, who had been taken hostage in March, were handed over to KFOR peacekeepers, who then transferred them to the Serb authorities. In a press statement, NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, welcomed the release of the hostages by ethnic Albanians as a good and important humanitarian gesture and a decisive step towards a political resolution of current tensions. Additional Information Press Release (2001)048 - Statement by the NATO Secretary General on the Release of Serb Hostages by Ethnic Albanians - 15 April 2001