Luxembourg, 13/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - During its session on Tuesday, the General Affairs Council (GAC) carried out a further general assessment of the situation and of the outlook of the Western Balkans. After this exercise, the High Representative and Secretary General Javier Solana welcomed the fact that the GAC had "decided to continue in its effort to ensure that the Serbs of Kosovo return home". He considered it very important, in this respect and in the prospect of elections scheduled for the autumn, to ensure the presence of "Serbs in the Kosovo administration", something he is working on. Javier Solana then noted that the situation was developing in a "favourable manner" in Croatia and that Serbia remained the "black hole" for democratic evolution, which entails "dramatic consequences for Montenegro and Kosovo". He simply felt that the elections over the weekend in Montenegro were an "interesting sign". Commissioner Chris Patten presented different initiatives taken recently by the Commission: the draft of the new regulation aimed at improving procedures for granting aid, aid to clearing the Danube, a proposal for establishing asymmetrical trade measures. The Commission proposes to present, before the end of July, a draft directive for negotiation of an Association Agreement with Croatia so that negotiations proper begin in the autumn.
In answer to questions on the idea put forward by President Chirac to organise a summit conference with the countries of former Yugoslavia, Mr Gama pointed out that French Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine had briefed the Fifteen on this, on Sunday evening (he was absent on Tuesday, being in Damascus like most of his colleagues). This initiative, explained Mr Gama, will not cover "all the Balkans" and will concern the prospects for countries which carry out political and economic changes.