Simon Coveney
Ceist:167 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made to date in bringing peace, stability and prosperity to all parts of the former Yugoslavia. [6547/03]
Written Answers - Foreign Conflicts.
Last year was the first in more than a decade not marked by violent conflict in the Western Balkans, the term used in referring to the countries of the former Yugoslavia and neighbouring Albania. Remarkable, if fragile, progress has been made in the past three years in the prevention of conflict and the establishment of functioning democratic structures throughout the region. Although it has been uneven, there has also been progress in many aspects of the economic and institutional reform processes and in working towards stability based on respect for human rights and the rule of law. Problems of ongoing concern include the prevalence of organised crime and unsatisfactory levels of cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
The EU is taking the leading role in building peace and stability in the region. The overall framework for EU engagement is provided by the Stabilisation and Association Process, which holds out the prospect of eventual integration into European structures on the basis of the implementation of a very detailed series of political and economic reforms. A summit meeting, bringing together the heads of state and government of the five states in the region and of the EU member states, plus Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, will be held in Thessaloniki on 21 June 2003, the day after the European Council. The aim will be to strengthen the EU-Western Balkans relationship and to institute a process of enhanced political dialogue. I hope that the summit will reconfirm the commitment of the EU to addressing the individual circumstances of the countries of the region, in the context of improved regional cooperation. It should also clarify for the people of the region that the goal of eventual integration requires a recognition that the primary responsibility for driving reform rests with their democratically-elected governments. Ireland will play a full part in developing the EU-Western Balkans relationship during 2003 and especially during our EU Presidency in 2004.
In relation to the individual countries of the region, if the referendum on EU membership is passed next month, Slovenia will sign its treaty of accession on 16 April 2003. Croatias economic and political progress enabled the conclusion of a stabilisation and association agreement with the EU in October 2001. Prime Minister Racan formally submitted Croatias application for membership of the EU to the Presidency on 21 February. The next step in the process will be the formulation of a commission opinion for consideration by the Council. This is expected to take at least a year to complete.
On 4 February 2003, following months of nego tiation on a constitutional charter and an implementing law, the new federal state of Serbia and Montenegro was proclaimed, replacing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Agreement on the formation of the new state was brokered by the EU. In order to underpin the stability of Serbia and Montenegro, the democratic institutions of the state will have to be put in place within a relatively short time frame. Rapid progress is also required on the completion of the economic action plans which will enable movement towards the negotiation of a stabilisation and association agreement with the EU.
The situation in Kosovo remains the most uncertain in the region. Some progress has been made towards the achievement of a multi-ethnic society in line with UN Security Council 1244. Ireland strongly supports the work of the UN Mission in Kosovo and the Special Representative of the Secretary General, Michael Steiner, including the transfer of most competencies to the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government by the end of 2003. It is important at this stage that all parties, in Pristina and in Belgrade, concentrate on the development of a dialogue on practical issues and avoid unilateral initiatives which could endanger the stability of Kosovo, and of the entire region.
Following protracted political negotiations, recent weeks have seen the formation of a new democratically-elected Council of Ministers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and of new governments for the entities which make up the federation. There is now an opportunity for greater progress in the reform process, with close cooperation between the Bosnian authorities and the international community, especially with the Office of the High Representative, Lord Ashdown.
The new coalition government in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has made further progress in the past month in the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the conflict in the country in August 2002.
Although Albania continues to face enormous political and economic challenges, there has been some progress in the establishment of political stability over the past year. As a result, it has been possible in the past month to begin the process of negotiating an EU-Albania stabilisation and association agreement.