[ALBSA-Info] France, Germany condemn ethnic Albanian extremists

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

France, Germany condemn ethnic Albanian extremists

  
PARIS, March 8 (Reuters) - The French and German foreign ministers on 
Thursday condemned attacks by ethnic Albanian guerrillas in southern Serbia 
and Macedonia, and said NATO and the European Union should work together to 
stabilise the region. 

France's Hubert Vedrine and Germany's Joschka Fischer said Macedonia's 
"policy of moderation" in dealing with the "extremists" should be supported. 

"The integrity of Macedonia must be respected," said a joint statement issued 
in Paris following a meeting between the ministers. 

Ethnic Albanian guerrillas have been using a buffer zone seperating Kosovo 
from the rest of Yugoslavia as a base for attacks on Serbian security forces 
in the adjacent Presevo Valley and, more recently, on Macedonia. 

Military sources estimate the number of rebels operating in the Macedonian 
border area at no more than 200. 

"France and Germany condemn the extremists' violent action on the northern 
border with Macedonia and the Presevo valley, which is aimed at destabilising 
the region," the ministers said. 

"NATO and the European Union must co-ordinate their respective efforts to 
help with the stabilisation of the region." 

NATO announced on Thursday that it would let Yugoslav security forces into 
part of the buffer zone adjoining the Macedonian border as early as this 
weekend as part of efforts to clamp down on the ethnic Albanian gunmen. 

When the ministers met journalists later, Vedrine rejected suggestions that 
it would be dangerous to bring the Serbian and Kosovo Albanian sides 
together. 

"I fully approve of this decision by NATO," he said. "I don't think you can 
say we are putting belligerents face to face. The situation has changed 
radically." 

Fischer added: "It's important that no new confontation is allowed to 
develop. This is crucial. There must be a peaceful resolution of all disputed 
issues."