This is not a NATO Press release

18 November 2008        For immediate release

NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY URGES
CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO KOSOVO

The 54th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly meeting in
Valencia on 14-18 November urged governments and parliaments of NATO
member and partner countries to remain committed to securing peace and
stability in Kosovo through the required international military and
civilian presence. A resolution passed by the Plenary Session held on 18
November calls for a clear division of responsibility and effective
co-ordination and co-operation mechanisms among all international
institutions in Kosovo.

This includes overcoming remaining obstacles to the conclusion of a
technical agreement between NATOÂ’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) and the EU rule of
law mission, EULEX. The resoluton calls for the prompt deployment of EULEX
throughout Kosovo and for the full resourcing of its efforts to strengthen
the rule of law.

The resolution seeks to foster the process of rebuilding mutual confidence
between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as among ethnic groups in Kosovo by
encouraging dialogue between the two capitals on the six issues identified
in the UN Secretary-GeneralÂ’s June 2008 report: police, courts, customs,
transportation and infrastructure, boundaries, and Serbian patrimony. It
also encourages a more active and constructive dialogue between Pristina
and Kosovo Serb representatives.

The resolution favours pragmatic solutions maintaining Kosovo as a single
administrative unit and taking into account the legitimate concerns of
local populations in Serb-majority areas. It supports the implementation
of measures aimed at enhancing the protection of Kosovo Serbs and other
minorities, including further decentralisation and a genuinely multiethnic
Kosovo Police Service, and the creation of the conditions for the return
of displaced persons to their homes.

The resolution favours continuing “to offer all countries of the region
clear prospects of and sustained assistance with their full integration
into Euro-Atlantic institutions and, in particular, to support actively
SerbiaÂ’s renewed commitment and efforts towards Euro-Atlantic
integration.”

The resoluton commends KFOR personnel “for their excellent performance in
demanding conditions” and stresses “the ongoing need for a strong KFOR
presence to maintain a safe and secure environment throughout Kosovo.”

News and information on the Session is routinely placed on the NATO PA website

Check http://www.nato-pa.int/Default.asp?SHORTCUT=1597