Brussels, 22/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 22 July at the Regional Affairs Council meeting, Foreign Affairs Ministers from Member States provided a low-down on the situation in the western Balkans. Conclusions emphasise the importance of regional co-operation. The Council has welcomed the agreement on the extension up till the end of the year of the United Nations mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH).
The Council vigorously condemned local obstruction to the return of refugees and has exhorted countries in the region to honour the commitment they made to deal with the legal and administrative problems that remain and which impede the return of refugees to their countries. The Council stressed that even if 1.5 million refugees were able to return home, there would still be more than a million displaced persons. Member States point out that the EU will take into account the progress made on this issue and the co-operation between countries in the region in its annual evaluation on the stabilisation and association process which links the Union and the Balkans. The Council indicated that it attached much importance to "regional co-operation and welcomed the meeting held on 15 July in Sarajevo between President of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Yugoslavia. The Council welcomed the announcement of elections in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 15 September and called for "a free and fair election campaign, without violence or intimidation". The Council welcomed further progress by Bosnia and Herzegovina on the Road Map for achieving the reforms set out by the EU. It called on the Bosnia electorate to take their destiny into their hands by "voting for reform programmes aiming at bring the country closer to Europe. In connection with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The EU noted with satisfaction that the mandate of the UN Mission in BiH (UNMiBH) has been prolonged until the end of the year, ensuring an orderly transition between the UN Mission and the EU Police Mission (EUPM, which will take over on 1 January 2003". The Council "welcomed the constitutive meeting of the Constitutional Commission" in charge of drafting the new Constitution of the future State of Serbia and Montenegro. The Council recalled the importance of the commitment made by the parties to complete the Constitutional Charter by the end of July. It also welcomed the "recent understanding between the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and FRY in securing the Kosovo Serbs' participation in the multi-ethnic judicial system of Kosovo".