Yugoslavia

Let me begin by congratulating Mr. Han Seung-soo on his election as President of the General Assembly. Your sterling credentials, Sir, and vast experience are a firm guarantee that our proceedings will run smoothly and bear fruit. I would also like to congratulate the United Nations and the Secretary-General on the Nobel Peace Prize. The award is the acknowledgement of the important role our Organization has in protecting world peace and promoting social progress and human rights, as well as an acknowledgement of the successful leadership of the Secretary-General. This honour should be strong encouragement for all of us to put even more effort into achieving the purposes of the United Nations. Let me also express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of yesterday’s tragic plane crash. The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on 11 September have affected not only the United States but all of us. Once again, we were painfully reminded that only together, with joint efforts, can we stand up to global challenges such as terrorism. Terrorism is a universal evil, a crime against humanity itself. It equally affects people of every religion, nationality and walk of life. Therefore we did not hesitate to support fully all international actions against terrorism. In that context, it is particularly important to ensure the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and all international conventions against terrorism. On behalf of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, I have just signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Yugoslavia has also taken a series of domestic measures to combat terrorism and has coordinated its actions with other States. Having been confronted with terrorism for quite some time itself, Yugoslavia is well aware of how difficult it is to fight this evil. It is not enough to prevent terrorist attacks and to capture and punish the perpetrators. It is even more important to deal with the social causes of terrorism, in particular, to address issues of poverty and the lack of opportunity. It is also vital to strengthen democracy and respect for human rights everywhere in the world. Poverty breeds anger, and if not channelled into democratic political processes, anger can easily fuel extremism. In this regard, the experience of Yugoslavia in dealing with terrorism in southern Serbia has shown that it is not sufficient to combat terrorism solely with security forces. We have therefore developed a comprehensive plan which, in addition to security measures, also aims at improving the economic situation in southern Serbia and reintegrating ethnic Albanians into the political process and State structures, especially at the local level. We are implementing this plan in cooperation with a number of international organizations, and this joint effort has proven to be successful. At this very moment, we are successfully training a multi-ethnic police force as an important confidence-building measure. All this would not be possible without the victory of democratic forces in Yugoslavia last year. This democratic revolution showed the strong will of the Yugoslav people to live in a democratic society based on the rule of law, with full respect for human and minority rights and a sustainable market economy. It also showed their desire to live better lives in a more prosperous society, in peace with their neighbours and 36 as a part of the European family of nations. In order to achieve these goals, Yugoslavia has started a process of comprehensive political and economic reforms over the last year. At the same time, we have to deal with several pressing issues which are of crucial importance for the country. Foremost among these issues is the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, southern Serbia and the redefinition of the Yugoslav Federation, as well as cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal established by the Security Council for the war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. However, these questions do not concern Yugoslavia alone; they are also of vital political importance for the entire region of South-East Europe. My Government has approached all of them in a constructive way and with a desire to find political solutions through dialogue in a democratic environment. Today, all countries in South-East Europe have democratically elected Governments, and all are striving to join European and Euro-Atlantic structures. At the same time, our region is still burdened with the legacy of the past 10 years and a number of outstanding issues, the main issue of which is the position of national minorities. The problems of the region are interrelated and must therefore be addressed by broad regional action and with the help of the international community. The solutions to be achieved should enjoy region-wide support. I believe that the precondition for dealing with the problems in the region is to fully respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries. It must be clearly said that the era of disintegration in the Balkans has come to an end. This will enable us to address the main problem of South-Eastern Europe — the status of national minorities — with fewer reservations and much more openness. Solving the minority issues, together with more economic cooperation and new confidence-building measures, is the way to achieve lasting stability and prosperity in the region. Such an approach will be fully in concert with the wishes of all countries in the region, including Yugoslavia, to join the European integration processes. In that context, Yugoslavia supports the process of stabilization and association, inaugurated by the European Union at the Zagreb Summit last year, as well as other regional initiatives. Kosovo and Metohija is the most pressing and immediate preoccupation of my Government. The Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia fully complies with Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). This is also what we rightly expect from others participating in its implementation and, in particular, neighbouring States. Unfortunately, we are not satisfied with the situation in the field. There is no security for non- Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija; the return of expelled and displaced persons is difficult and slow, and there is no progress with respect to the issue of missing persons. Nonetheless, we signed the Common Document with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which should provide for comprehensive cooperation in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). This enabled the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Federal and Serbian Republican Governments to call on the Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija to take part in the elections. They did so fully convinced that participation in the elections is in the Serbs’ best interest and that cooperation with the international community, particularly with UNMIK and KFOR, is the key to the solution of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. The elections to be held in Kosovo and Metohija on 17 November are important indeed; yet, it is only after the elections that I expect we will start even more extensive cooperation. This cooperation should be aimed at implementing Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) fully and at establishing democracy and promoting human rights in Kosovo and Metohija, with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In that connection, my delegation welcomes the presidential statements issued by the Security Council on 5 October and 9 November 2001. I take this opportunity to affirm the support of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for the efforts of the United Nations, particularly those of the Secretary- General, aimed at strengthening the role and place of the world Organization in present-day international relations. Recalling the conclusions of the Millennium Assembly, we expect that the General Assembly, the main organ of the United Nations, will function more effectively. At the same time, the Organization should 37 be more efficient in order to address the challenges before us. The Security Council should adapt itself to the new relations in the international community. We attach special significance to the international rule of law. It is of particular importance that all international crimes be punished before national and international courts. In that context, we firmly believe that the International Criminal Court should start its work as soon as possible. This is why my country has already ratified the Statute of Rome that establishes the Court. In conclusion, I would like to stress that grave challenges are before us. We have to take concerted action to deal with them. We have to be wise in how we act because that will determine the outlook of the international system for many years to come.