UNMIK/PR/21

Press Release

29 July 1999       

U.S. Secretary of State Calls for International Community to Support UNMIK

Says she is "very encouraged by the cooperation beteween KFOR and UNMIK"

(Pristina 29 July)  On a visit to Pristina today, United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she was "very encouraged by the cooperation between UNMIK and KFOR-they are working very well together". The Secretary of State was on a one-day visit to Kosovo to review progress made in implementing Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the state of cooperation between the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Kosovo Force (KFOR).  On leaving an hour-long briefing with Dr. Bernard Kouchner, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and Lt. Gen. Mike Jackson,  the Secretary of State said there was a lot of work to be done, but that there was also "a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and willingness to work."   Dr. Kouchner noted that the United Nations was acting to speed up the deployment of international police officers in Kosovo.

Speaking to several thousand Kosovars outside UNMIK headquarters, accompanied on the podium by Dr. Kouchner, the Secretary of State asked the people of Kosovo "to help and cooperate" with KFOR, the United Nations and other agencies in support of reaching the foal of a democratic and peaceful Kosovo.  She called on Albanian Kosovars to reject violence and acts of revenge.  Your leaders understand that when an ethnic Albanian murders a Serb, he commits a crime against his own cause and against the future of Kosovo.  Democracy cannot be built on revenge," she said "and you will not have the support of the world if you are intolerant and take the law into your own hands."

During a brief question and answer session, a reporter noted that "the U.S. has been critical of the speed with which UNMIK has been delivering its mission" and asked how Mrs. Albright and Dr. Kouchner had addressed this issue.  Mrs. Albright replied "I have not been critical of the speed.  I have understood that this is a very difficult mission.  In comparison, frankly, with some of the other startups in other places, I think this is moving along very well."  Saying that "increasing synergy" between KFOR and UNMIK was important, she added: "I respect what Dr. Kouchner is doing.  He is not here alone, he has to be supported by the international community."

Mrs. Albright met separately at UNMIK headquarters with Dr. Kouchner and the heads of UNMIK’s four "pillars" responsible for civil administration, humanitarian assistance, institution-building and reconstruction. 

In the course of their meetings, Mrs. Albright, General Jackson and Dr. Kouchner and his colleagues reviewed the full range of issues facing UNMIK and KFOR, including the maintenance of security in the territory, establishment of respect for the rule of law, the early deployment of  civilian police, deployment of customs officers at Kosovo’s international borders and the need to support rapid rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

Later today, Dr. Kouchner met at Pristina airport with Prime Minister Aznar of Spain. He also discussed civil administration, police and refugees with a delegation of State Ministers of Internal Affairs from Germany.