Strasbourg, 04/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - The new EU Council President, Louis Michel, issued a declaration at the European Parliament on Wednesday on the situation in Macedonia. He specified that, at this stage, the Belgian Presidency continues with and encourages political dialogue. The Union will continue its action on the security chapter, in coordination with NATO, he pointed out. External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten affirmed that the "substantial" aid that the Commission will be able to provide for the region would depend on the conclusion of a political agreement between the parties on the ground. It is not too late to prevent a disaster, said Mr Patten, inviting those with influence over the rebels in Kosovo to "pull them off the brink".
It is time to think about a real strategy for the Balkans, affirmed the chairperson of the EP delegation for South East Europe, German Doris Pack, speaking on behalf of the EPP. Regarding solutions to the problems in FYROM, she says, these can under no circumstances be found if there is division according to ethnic criteria. The attribution of a right of veto to an Albanian vice-president would, she believes, be a very bad signal. Austrian national Johannes Swoboda, speaking for the Socialist Group, agrees with this. Mr Swoboda would like to have information on the origin of weapons available to UCK and on the recent declarations (see EUROPE of 29 June, page 4) by EU Envoy to Skopje, François Léotard, from France. His declarations seem to be in contradiction with the Council and Commission. The situation in Macedonia, notes Spanish Pere Esteve for the Liberal Group, has a negative influence on the economic efforts and the direct investment in two neighbouring countries, and candidate countries, Bulgaria and Romania. Speaking for the Greens, Dutch Jan Lagendijk asked the Commission whether it planned to establish a link between a political agreement and the support of the Union only for new aid or also for existing aid. He asks: Who will discuss with the rebels, Mr Léotard? But he is almost not allowed to move … In his opinion, there is a missing link. Greek Mihail Papayannakis, speaking for the United Left, would have liked to have known whether the statements by Mr Léotard were official statements or simply a "blunder". The former UN Representative, Bernard Kouchner, was himself brought into question by Jannis Sakellariou, German Social Democrat, who said: Mr Kouchner ought to have disarmed the rebels in Kosovo, but he did not do so and now we must correct the errors of the past. "If NATO now helps us to disarm UCK, that's fine", said Mr Sakellariou, "but they should be called by their name - they are not rebels, but terrorists".