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Secretary General,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The situation in South-Eastern Europe remains the main security risk for Switzerland, as it is for many other Western European countries. It seems that in the Balkans equation, the sum of conflict, violence and nationalism is a constant. Although we are encouraged by the recent positive developments in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, there is now serious cause for concern about the situations in Macedonia and in Southern Serbia, and we strongly condemn the acts of violence carried out by extremist Albanian armed groups. Switzerland, which is host country to several tens of thousands of Kosovar Albanians, has taken strong action against the illegal activities of a number of extremist groups based in the country. Having supported the people of Kosovo in one of the province's darkest hours. Switzerland notes with growing dismay and frustration that our good will and open society are now becoming the object of misuse.
In Macedonia, we welcome the formation of a broad coalition government, which includes the Albanian parties However, it will not be able to function without consensus on some basic issues such as the renunciation and condemnation of all kinds of violence. A broad national dialogue is indispensable, and it must focus on minority rights Switzerland welcomes the presence of the OSCE in Macedonia, and we commend the Organisation for its action.
In Southern Serbia, we note with satisfaction the restraint in the use of force by the armed forces of the Yugoslav government. It is indeed essential to implement the necessary confidence-building measures proposed by the Covic plan. We appreciate the determination of the Yugoslav and Serbian authorities to find a political solution to the crisis, and we welcome the demilitarisation agreement signed by ethnic Albanian leaders.
The briefing provided by the Yugoslav Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Svilanovic, confirms that the demoralisation process that started with the election of Mr. Kostumca to the federal presidency will continue unimpeded. Without this the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia wili not be able to assume its proper place in Europe. Switzerland is co-operating closely with the new government, in particular in the area of economic reconstruction and transformation- Having taken the FRY on board the Swiss constituency to the Bretton Woods Institutions, we are impressed by its commitment to reform.
The recent major changes in Be/grade should make it easier for Montenegro to find a way to stay within the FRY. Constitutional solutions must be found which can provide for a larger degree of autonomy for Montenegro without threatening the stability of the country or the region as a whole. We believe that the recent emergence of tensions in Vojvodina and Sandjak show the need for further action in this field.
Today, if co-operative security is to become meaningful, it must prove its worth in South-Eastern Europe The Stability Pact has shown that lasting security, as well as social and economic assistance are possible in practice, and can substantially improve the situation in the region. Furthermore, we want to stress the particular importance of close co-operation between EAPC and the OSCE in this context.
On the one hand, the strength of EAPC lies above all in its expertise in promoting confidence-buiding through practical co-operation both in peacekeeping and military training and exercising. On the other hand, the key advantage of the OSCE is its know-how in all aspects of civilian crisis and prevention.
We see potential (or further co-operation in the following areas:
The OSCE document on small arms and light weapons represents a key Step forward in this field. We would like to use EAPC's skills in its implementation. The pragmatic initiatives taken by both organisations are ideally suited to the area of small arms and light weapons.
As the depository state of the Geneva Conventions, Switzerland has placed international humanitarian law on the PfP agenda on several occasions. We strongly favor the inclusion of a specific area of cooperation for this issue within the Partnership Work Programme. The OSCE Code of Conduct is relevant to the EAPC framework, and we support the initiatives of both organisations to work more closely together.
I would like to conclude with the following remarks. The current situation in South-Eastern Europe is still characterised by a high level of risk and uncertainty. Switzerland considers that there is scope for EAPC to play an even more active role in establishing lasting security and stability in the region. One promising common approach should be that of furthering regional co-operation among the South-Eastern European partners. EAPC is all about dialogue and information sharing. This process should not be focused on Brussels alone. It should much rather lead to a sense of common regional ownership of the essence of co-operative security.