NATO Chief Warns Kosovo Leaders Ethnic Violence Must Stop. UNMIK News (31 May 2000)

Source: http://www.un.org/peace/kosovo/news/kosovo2.htm#Anchor52
Accessed 06 June 2000

NATO chief warns Kosovo leaders ethnic violence must stop

MAY 31 -- Addressing the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) today, Lord Robertson, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), warned that Kosovo risked losing the support of the international community if ethnic violence did not stop. He also expressed concern about the continuing tension in the Presevo valley in Serbia and its implications for peace and stability in the region.

Lord Robertson said that the international community was committed to a multi-ethnic, peaceful and democratic Kosovo, as witnessed by the more than 40,000 troops, 4,000 police and other international staff in the province. However, he gave the KTC a 'solemn warning' that the international community did not have unlimited patience, and said that the leaders of Kosovo must tell the people this 'blunt truth,' and publically condemn ethnic violence.

"In such meetings they have a tendency of telling me what I want to hear. Everyone agrees that ethnic hatred has to be set aside for the future of Kosovo," Lord Robertson said, but added that none of the leaders repeated the message outside the meeting rooms.

During its meeting, the KTC also endorsed yesterday's statement by the Interim Administrative Council condemning the recent murder of three ethnic Serbs in Cernica. A suspect in the shooting has been arrested and is expected to go before an international judge in the next two days, a UN spokeswoman said.