Brussels, 20/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The lunch of the General Affairs Council on Monday was entirely devoted to the issue of the Western Balkans, on the basis of a report from Commissioner Chris Patten and Secretary General/High Representative Javier Solana, qualified as being "very useful" by the French Foreign Minister. Speaking to the press, Hubert Vedrine said that at their "very good lunch-hour meeting", the Fifteen confirmed their decision of last month to lift the air embargo against the FRY (a regulation will "very shortly" be published in the OJ along these lines). Ministers also confirmed their tentative decision to impose additional sanctions against the leaders of the FRY ("and only against them", Vedrine stipulated), even though they did give themselves a "few days" to put the finishing touches to the measure (EUROPE has reason to believe that it could be announced on Thursday, at the Lisbon European Council).
On the basis of the Patten/Solana document, the foreign ministers began to "clarify" their stance on the Western Balkans as a whole, said Mr Vedrine, and their analyses are "very similar". They thus "all agree with Mr Solana's idea of having an open Serbia", in other words, opening a "society to society" relationship. The EU "is resuming the initiative", Mr Vedrine added, explaining that the dinner-time meeting in Lisbon on Thursday (foreign ministers will participate alongside the Heads of State or Government) would be "especially devoted to the Balkans issue". For the French Minister, what is urgent at present is to clarify the policy guidelines being used by the international community in Kosovo and organise upcoming local elections "down to the smallest detail". The Fifteen, he continued, are also determined to find a way of helping Montenegro. On the other hand, Mr Vedrine stated that, "if clarification is understood to mean resignation to Kosovo's independence, I know of no Western official who wishes to go in that direction". Mr Vedrine also spoke in favour of there being an early meeting of the Contact Group, noting that it would be "very useful".