NATO defiant, EU concerned over Kosovo violence

NATO will respond to violence in Kosovo decisively, says NATO spokesman James Appathurai. EU High Representative Javier Solana expressed his deep concern for the clashes in Kosovska Mitrovica. NATO defiant, EU concerned over Kosovo violence “NATO will respond decisively to any form of force in line with its UN mandate” in Kosovo, Appathurai said in Brussels, and “strongly condemned the violence” in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. In Ljubljana today, Solana and Slovenian President Danilo Turk expressed their concern over events in Kosovo, and expressed their hope that the situation would return to normal soon. At least 100 people were injured in clashes in the town between local Serbs and members of the international mission to Kosovo. The EU high representative is in Ljubljana today at a meeting of EU foreign policy presidents, after which he spoke to Turk. “We heard the news of today’s violence in Kosovska Mitrovica with the gravest concern,” the Slovenian president told a press conference. “Events are causing concern, and we expressed the hope that reason will prevail, and that the situation will stabilize,” he said, adding that he wanted “everyone who can help calm the current situation, and establish the conditions necessary for UNMIK’s work and for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1244, to do so.” “We hope that, in the coming hours and days, matters will unfold in that direction,” said Turk. Solana agreed with Turk. “We’re very worried by the situation, and we’d like everyone to try and calm the situation, as it’s not getting us anywhere, violence is not getting us anywhere,” he said, stressing his support for KFOR and other institutions representing the international community on the basis of Resolution 1244. “I call on all those who can help pacify the situation to really do everything in their powers,” said Solana, pointing out that this was a very “sad moment, and that it is in everyone’s interests to calm the situation.” Responding to journalists’ questions, the EU high representative confirmed that “the EULEX mission will continue to be implemented in line with its schedule, and that there was currently nothing necessitating a change to that calendar that had been agreed upon by all EU members.” Asked about EU policy towards Serbia in the event of a nationalist victory in the May elections, he replied that “we can’t yet talk about the election results.” “Our policy towards Serbia is a policy whereby we’re trying to bring Serbia as close to the EU as possible,” said Solana, and expressed the hope that “Serbian institutions would respond positively to this position of the EU’s.” The EU high representative said that Serbia needed “to be left to prepare” for elections, and expressed the hope that they would be “democratic and fair.” As far as the situation in Macedonia was concerned, Solana and Turk expressed their conviction that the situation there was stable, and that there would be more discussion about this during tomorrow’s visit of the Macedonian Red Cross president to Ljubljana.

NATO defiant, EU concerned over Kosovo violence

“NATO will respond decisively to any form of force in line with its UN mandate” in Kosovo, Appathurai said in Brussels, and “strongly condemned the violence” in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.

In Ljubljana today, Solana and Slovenian President Danilo Turk expressed their concern over events in Kosovo, and expressed their hope that the situation would return to normal soon.

At least 100 people were injured in clashes in the town between local Serbs and members of the international mission to Kosovo.

The EU high representative is in Ljubljana today at a meeting of EU foreign policy presidents, after which he spoke to Turk.

“We heard the news of today’s violence in Kosovska Mitrovica with the gravest concern,” the Slovenian president told a press conference.

“Events are causing concern, and we expressed the hope that reason will prevail, and that the situation will stabilize,” he said, adding that he wanted “everyone who can help calm the current situation, and establish the conditions necessary for UNMIK’s work and for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1244, to do so.”

“We hope that, in the coming hours and days, matters will unfold in that direction,” said Turk.

Solana agreed with Turk. “We’re very worried by the situation, and we’d like everyone to try and calm the situation, as it’s not getting us anywhere, violence is not getting us anywhere,” he said, stressing his support for KFOR and other institutions representing the international community on the basis of Resolution 1244.

“I call on all those who can help pacify the situation to really do everything in their powers,” said Solana, pointing out that this was a very “sad moment, and that it is in everyone’s interests to calm the situation.”

Responding to journalists’ questions, the EU high representative confirmed that “the EULEX mission will continue to be implemented in line with its schedule, and that there was currently nothing necessitating a change to that calendar that had been agreed upon by all EU members.”

Asked about EU policy towards Serbia in the event of a nationalist victory in the May elections, he replied that “we can’t yet talk about the election results.”

“Our policy towards Serbia is a policy whereby we’re trying to bring Serbia as close to the EU as possible,” said Solana, and expressed the hope that “Serbian institutions would respond positively to this position of the EU’s.”

The EU high representative said that Serbia needed “to be left to prepare” for elections, and expressed the hope that they would be “democratic and fair.”

As far as the situation in Macedonia was concerned, Solana and Turk expressed their conviction that the situation there was stable, and that there would be more discussion about this during tomorrow’s visit of the Macedonian Red Cross president to Ljubljana.