Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Minister Urges Protection for Serbs in Kosovo
Michael Bowman
Washington
10 May 2004, 20:39 UTC
Serbia and Montenegro's foreign minister is urging greater protection
for Serbian minorities in Kosovo. The minister spoke at a VOA news
conference in Washington after meeting with officials from the Bush
administration. Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic said the international community, which
once acted to protect ethnic Albanians, must show the same concern for
Serbs in the U.N.-administered province of Kosovo.
"The obligation of the international community, first of all, to
eliminate very urgently and efficiently the consequences of ethnic
cleansing of Albanians committed against Serbs since June 10, 1999 - in
the same way the international community eliminated the consequences of
the cleansing the Milosevic regime committed against Albanians before
the 10th of June, 1999," he said.
Mr. Draskovic also called for autonomy for Serbian enclaves within
Kosovo, as well as for the recovery of houses and churches that were
burned as anti-Serb rioting swept the province in March, claiming 19
lives. It was the worst ethnic violence since the United Nations began
administering Kosovo nearly five years ago.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has said the ethnic violence in Kosovo was a major setback for reconciliation in the area. The United Nations says Kosovo's leaders must guarantee the rule of law, assure
freedom of movement, and protect minorities if the international
community is to consider the area's final status.
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