[ALBSA-Info] Dialogue is the only solution/Kathimerini

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Dialogue is the only solution

Javier Solana, EU's foreign policy and security chief, talks about the latest 
Balkan crisis

During his visit to FYROM, Javier Solana said that effective reform policies 
and ensuring the multiethnic character of FYROM society were mandatory. 'This 
means that FYROM must abide by the policies of reform and dialogue, ensuring 
that every ethnic minority group has an interest in the country's 

By Stavros Tzimas
Kathimerini

The latest Balkan crisis has highlighted the demand for European intervention 
in order to stabilize the area. The armed Albanian uprising in the Former 
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has shown that the European Union has to have 
both the will and the ability to ensure stability in Europe. 

Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy and security chief, has made repeated 
trips to Skopje and has condemned the extremists' use of force. He has also 
urged the FYROM leadership and ethnic Albanian political parties to exercise 
self-control and to engage in political dialogue.

Solana told Kathimerini that the problems in the former Yugoslavia and the 
Balkans in general are at the moment the main focus of joint European defense 
and security policy.

Asked about the basis for the optimism he expressed after his recent visit to 
FYROM, he emphasized that his optimism had been reserved.

"I said that the phase of military operations was over, opening the way for a 
political resolution of the crisis. FYROM's military operations were 
particularly successful, essentially without civilian losses," he said, 
adding that attention should now be focused on the political aspect of the 
issue, through a broad dialogue within the framework of state institutions, 
to resolve the problems plaguing the ethnic Albanian community.

"In the past few days there has been considerable progress in FYROM... In all 
likelihood, there will be fresh challenges within the next few days, but the 
initial successes of FYROM's troops, plus the fact that the Albanian party, 
the DPA, has not left the government coalition... shows there is still hope 
for securing stability in FYROM," he said.

During his visit to FYROM, Solana called for a political dialogue to resolve 
the problems faced by the country's sizable ethnic Albanian minority, who 
want their rights ratified in the constitution, something that the Slav 
majority are likely to reject.

Solana said that effective reform policies and ensuring the multiethnic 
character of FYROM society were mandatory.

"This means that FYROM must abide by the policies of reform and dialogue, 
ensuring that every ethnic minority group has an interest in the country's 
economic and political growth. In my tour of the area last week, I visited 
FYROM three times to underline the importance I attribute to beginning a 
dialogue with the Albanian political parties that represent the country's 
Albanian population and one of which is a member of the governing coalition."

"The Albanian population in the region has to realize that its interests will 
only be served effectively through democratic institutions. The range and 
direction of the reforms should be the subject of dialogue within FYROM. 

"The EU is prepared to help bring this about with plans for border 
administration, support for refugees and local government programs and funds 
for the University of Southeastern Europe."

Solana believes that a dialogue with all legal Albanian organizations should 
be held before any changes are made to FYROM's constitution. As for the 
causes of the current crisis, which some believe are a result of NATO's 
intervention in Kosovo, Solana said that as many of these events - in Kosovo, 
southern Serbia and FYROM - are inter-related, a firm policy is required from 
the international community.

Solana said the EU had formed the basis for a strategy based on a procedure 
set out at the Zagreb summit. 

"Finally, we should not underestimate the importance of creating an economic 
and social basis for policies for progress, which are our goals in the 
Balkans. As long as 50 percent of youth in the Balkans are jobless, there 
will always be the danger of new uprisings," he added.

Asked to comment on a widespread impression that NATO, the US and the EU had 
been "spoiling" the Albanians, who were now finding it hard to contain their 
nationalist demands, Solana said that protecting minorities from oppression 
should not be confused with nationalist demands. 

"The international community's intervention in Kosovo was aimed at protecting 
Albanians in Kosovo, but we will not allow a small group of extremists in 
FYROM to endanger what we have achieved in recent years. These groups have to 
realize that that they are seriously undermining the interests and goals of 
Albanian minorities throughout southeastern Europe. At the dawn of the third 
millennium, we need a progressive and constructive approach to dealing with 
new challenges. There is no longer any room for violence in the Balkans," he 
said. 

'No' to unilateral actions

Solana said he had sent a strong message to the Kosovar Albanians asking them 
to distance themselves from the use of force and the goals of the armed 
extremists but said the EU needed to continue to provide viable alternatives.

"We need to encourage the population to focus their efforts on preparing an 
autonomous administration. I intend to continue my contacts with all 
political leaders in Kosovo in view of the imminent elections," he said. In 
southeastern Serbia, talks aimed at a political solution are continuing 
despite the obstacles that have arisen. The EU, in cooperation with NATO, is 
prepared to exert pressure if necessary, he said. In Montenegro, the EU is 
still asking Podgorica and Belgrade to agree to new constitutional amendments 
within the framework of the Yugoslav federation and the broader region. With 
regard to Bosnia, following the Bosnian Croats' recent attempt at separatism, 
there were many who claimed that the Dayton accords were destined to fail. 

Asked to comment on whether he felt the Bosnian crisis might be rekindled, 
Solana said: "I appeal to the Croats of Bosnia to work within the framework 
of legality in promoting their goals. At the same time, we are obliged to 
support the new non-nationalist government of Bosnia in every way possible as 
it attempts to deal with its problems with the aim of joining the European 
community. The citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina can only hope to enter Europe 
as a unified state. The EU continues to give its wholehearted support to the 
efforts of High Representative in Bosnia Wolfgang Petritsch to implement the 
Dayton and Paris accords." 
(Ed. note: This interview was translated from the Greek.)