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Security Council

Fifty-fourth year

responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under the United Nations Charter. Their apparent absence of support has prevented the Council from using its powers to the full extent and from authorizing the action which is necessary to put an end to the violations of its resolutions.

It is our expectation and belief that the action which is being undertaken will be carried out strictly within the substantive parameters established by the relevant Security Council resolutions. We would also like to express our hope that a peace agreement on Kosovo will be reached in the shortest possible time. We will continue to actively support the endeavours of the international community to achieve a mutually acceptable solution under international supervision.

Mr. Buallay (Bahrain) (spoke in Arabic): Our delegation regrets the recent developments in Kosovo, which have finally led to the use of military force against the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We have. long called for a peaceful settlement of the Kosovo crisis through serious and constructive dialogue between the parties to the conflict.

However, the authorities in Belgrade unfortunately insisted on their position and did not seize the opportunity afforded them in Rambouillet. Those authorities insisted on pursuing a policy of repression against the Kosovar Albanian community, a policy that started when those authorities put an end to the autonomy enjoyed by Kosovo until 1989. It would seem as if they have quickly forgotten or disregarded the lessons drawn from the tragic experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It would also seem that the authorities in Belgrade do not want the Balkan region to enjoy the peace and stability so sorely missed by the peoples of the region. The policy of "ethnic cleansing" and the denial of the fundamental rights of the Kosovar Albanians can bring only destruction and instability to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Such a policy has also led to the displacement of thousands of Kosovo inhabitants. There are more than 200,000 displaced persons within Kosovo, in addition to the thousands of others who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. The problem has indeed become extremely serious, and a humanitarian catastrophe is looming.

Our delegation hopes that the authorities in Belgrade will come to their senses and obey the dictates of reason and logic with a view to achieving peace and stability in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in the Balkan region in general. This can become reality only if they enter into a serious and constructive dialogue and commit to all relevant Security Council resolutions and to cooperation with the international community in order to put an end to the conflict in Kosovo.

Mr. Jagne (Gambia): The situation in Kosovo, in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, is a cause of great concern to my delegation. Like all peace-loving nations, we in the Gambia are very much attached to the sacrosanct principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

Throughout the past year, the international community has deployed a great deal of effort in order to find a peaceful settlement to the question concerning Kosovo. Unfortunately, however, many opportunities to resolve the crisis were missed, for reasons well known to all of us, including the latest talks in Paris.

Meanwhile, the onslaught against the ethnic Albanian community in Kosovo continued unabated. The international community time and again called on the authorities in Belgrade to respect human rights and to cooperate with the international community with a view to settling peacefully the question of greater autonomy for Kosovo, but to no avail.

As far as my delegation is concerned, we cannot remain indifferent to the plight of the murdered people of Kosovo. In recent times, the actions of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Government in Kosovo have caused an untold amount of suffering among the Kosovar Albanians and have generated thousands and thousands of refugees and displaced persons.

It is the responsibility of any Government to protect its citizens. We speak with great regret of the fact that the international community had to take the action it took today. Of course, regional arrangements have responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security in their areas. The Security Council, however, has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, as clearly stated in the Charter of the United Nations.

It must be noted, though, that at times the exigencies of a situation demand, and warrant, decisive and immediate action. We find that the present situation in Kosovo deserves such a treatment. The action started. today by the international community could have been avoided, for the action could still be prevented. We 7