Brussels, 07/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - Chris Patten, the Commissioner for External Relations, will visit Serbia-Montenegro and Kosovo on Monday and Tuesday. Two months after the inter-ethnic violence in the province of Kosovo, Mr Patten will speak of measures taken to repair the damage and learn from the violence. In Belgrade, the Commission will stress the need for a pro-European consensus within the political classes of Serbia-Montenegro, and to overcome the obstacles to the country's European integration.
In Kosovo, Mr Patten will meet representatives of the mission of the United Nations on the ground, Minuk, and various heads of provisions institutions in the province, including President Ibrahim Rugova and Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi, and representatives of the Serb community. Repeating that this violence is a "serious step backwards for Kosovo" in terms of its European integration, Mr Patten will underline the need for concrete progress to implement standards for Kosovo (in line with the United Nations "Standards Before Status" policy: Ed). Mr Patten will also visit the Association of Municipalities in Kosovo, where he will meet municipal representatives of the Albanian and Serb communities, to recommend co-operation between the two communities.
In Serbia-Montenegro, the Commission will meet the President and the Foreign Minister or the federal entity, Svetozar Marovic and Vuk Draskovic respectively. He will also meet the Serbian Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica, the Serbian deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus and the Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. Mr Patten will stress the need for a clear pro-European consensus to be reached among the leaders of the political class in the country, in order to re-launch reforms and the road to European integration The Commission will once again stress the need for Serbia-Montenegro to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, and to respect constitutional provisions adopted last year, notably in implementing the action plan for trade and the internal market.