Brussels, 16/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Swedish Presidency has made the following declaration on behalf of the European Union:
"The EU warmly welcomes the agreement on a broad coalition government in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This is a strong message of unity from democratic leaders in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia against the cowardly acts of violence by the extremists. It is also a brave step by the political leaders to assume their responsibilities for the country in a difficult situation. The EU calls for an end to the violence, and expresses the hope that the new coalition government will achieve concrete and substantial results on the main issues in the ongoing dialogue by the end of month. The new government of national unity will serve as a solid platform in handling the hard political decisions that lie ahead. Only through political means can this crisis be resolved and a viable solution be found. The EU will support the new Government in its difficult task."