Brussels, 25/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - Monday's General Affairs Council, in its conclusions on the Balkans, asked once again for the full co-operation of all the countries of the region with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). It welcomed the transfer of the first war crimes suspects from Kosovo to the ICTY. The return of refugees and displaced persons is a major theme of the Thessaloniki Summit on the Balkans (planned for 21 June, following the European Council), which insists on all refugees and displaced persons being allowed to return to their place of origin, and calls upon national authorities to take the necessary legislative, security and financial measures to allow this to take place under the appropriate conditions. It also points out that the fate of the million people still displaced should be taken into account in economic re-conversion programmes. The Council, which insists on the co-operation and exchange of information between Balkan states to facilitate this, will summarise the situation in its next annual report on the stabilisation and association process.
Serbia and Montenegro: The Council welcomed the adoption of the constitutional Charter and its law permitting the creation of the Union of Serbia and Montenegro. It called upon the Serbian and Montenegrin authorities to keep to the deadlines for setting up the new institutions and finalising the action plan for the internal and trade market by the end of March. Kosovo: the Council points out that resolution 1244 of the United Nations Security Council remains the basis for European action within Kosovo, and reiterates its support to the Special Representative of the United Nations on site, Michael Steiner. Appealing to the local authorities to co-operate with him and the international community present on the ground, the Council welcomes Mr Steiner's intention progressively to transfer the remaining competencies to the provisional institutions of the autonomous government by the end of the year, and hopes that they will prove themselves capable of taking on these responsibilities. The Council finally called upon Belgrade and Pristina to "avoid any unilateral initiatives incompatible with a multiethnic and democratic Kosovo", and which could destabilise the region. Macedonia: The Council welcomed the government's adoption of action plans to put in place the Orhid framework agreement, and also the support for these plans expressed by heads of political parties at their meeting on 14 February. The Council encourages the government and the signatories of the agreement to ensure a swift implementation, in order to advance towards European integration.