Brussels, 02/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - In a declaration on behalf of the EU on the local elections in Kosovo, the French Presidency underpins the role Bernard Kouchner, the UN's Special Representative, will have to play after these elections to ensure, in particular, the participation of Serbs in the ongoing process. Here is the text in full (unofficial translation):
"The EU welcomes the good conditions, the lack of incidents and the remarkably high turnout that characterised the municipal elections in Kosovo on 28 October. The EU congratulates the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative in Kosovo and his team, whose commitment and action allowed for this new stage in the implementation of United Nations Resolution 1244. It also praises the remarkable work accomplished by the OSCE and the Council of Europe, which allowed for the smooth holding of the ballot, and KFOR that managed to guarantee the essential secure environment.
UNMIK now has representative and democratic bodies at local level, as well as interlocutors at municipal level. Regarding this, the EU welcomes the intention of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to appoint Serb representatives of Kosovo in certain municipal councils and later to organise partial elections. The EU would like other nationalities to become involved in this dynamic as soon as possible. It is, moreover, up to UNMIK to entertain the essential parallel dialogue with the Belgrade authorities".