Brussels, 28/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 26 February, the EU and the United States adopted a Joint Statement on Kosovo in which they especially condemn attacks committed by extremists. Here is the text in full of that joint statement:
"The EU and the United States remain committed to the task of supporting all the people of Kosovo as they work to build a democratic society with a prosperous market economy. We restate the need for full implementation of UNSCR 1244. A new democratic Kosovo must uphold the rule of law, protect the rights of all the people, and ensure their safety and security. We welcome the initiative of the World Bank and the European Commission to hold the donors meeting for Kosovo in Pristina. The results of the conference attest to the continuing strong support of the international community for the work that remains to be done in Kosovo. The EU and the United States will continue to lead in that effort.
The EU and the United States also today strongly condemn extremist outrages such as the February 16 vicious attack by unknown persons on a bus carrying innocent civilians near the town of Podujevo. A democratic Kosovo cannot be built upon intolerance, ethnic hatred, and terror against innocent people. Incidents of this kind gravely undermine our publics' and Parliaments' political and financial support for Kosovo's democratic transition and economic recovery. The EU and the United States call upon all organizations and political parties in Kosovo to condemn these heinous attacks in the strongest possible terms and to work with the authorities to bring these criminals to justice. We further call on the people of Kosovo to demonstrate that they will not tolerate this violence.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries, members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this declaration."