Vol. 502 No. 6
65 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the discussions he has had with the European leaders in relation to the comments made by the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, in relation to the NATO led intervention in the Balkans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9168/99]
The unfolding situation and crisis in Kosovo were the subject of prolonged consideration by EU heads of state and government and Foreign Ministers at the European Council in Berlin. As I already made clear to the House, I had a separate meeting with the Foreign Ministers of the other EU neutral states, Austria, Finland and Sweden, and it was evident that our views on the NATO action and other aspects of the Kosovo crisis were very close. The Secretary General of the United Nations spoke, I believe, for many when he said it is indeed tragic that diplomacy has failed, but there are times when the use of force may be legitimate in the pursuit of peace.
The Government shares the view of many that it is always preferable when there is explicit Security Council authorisation for the use of force. However, in the light of divisions among the permanent members of the Security Council, it was most unlikely that any further more explicit decision would have been agreed. Subsequent discussion at the Security Council has borne out this view.
