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Bulletins
New York City
April 7-9, 1997
JOINTLY AGREED POSITIONS
- Kosovo constitutes a serious problem that requires an urgent solution. Without international encouragement and assistance the current lack of confidence between the sides cannot be overcome or a lasting settlement reached.
- The problem can only be resolved by mutual accord reached through dialogue that is entered into with no preconditions or prejudgment of possible outcomes.
- The agreement must be based on the principles of democratization, mutual respect between the sides, respect for human rights, both individual and collective, and promotion of regional stability through respect for Helsinki principles concerning borders. An interim solution requires a democratic Kosovo and a democratic Serbia.
SERB-ALBANIAN KOSOVO ROUNDTABLE
New York City
April 7-9, 1997
Concluding Statement of the Serb-Albanian Roundtable
On April 7-9 1997, leading Serbian and Kosovar Albanian political figures met in New York City to continue the roundtable discussions of Serb-Albanian relations and the issues of mutual concern over Kosovo.
The participants included, from Belgrade: Vuk Draskovic, President, Serbian Renewal Movement; Dusan Janjic, Coordinator, Forum for Ethnic Relations; Miroljub Labus, Vice-President, Democratic Party; Dragoljub Micunovic, President, Party of Democratic Center; Dusan Mihajlovic, President, New Democracy Party; Vesna Pesic, President, Civic Alliance of Serbia; from Prishtina: Fehmi Agani, Vice-President, Democratic League of Kosovo; Mahmut Bakalli, former political leader of Kosovo; Adem Demaci, President, Parliamentary Party of Kosovo; Hydajet Hyseni, Vice-President, Democratic League of Kosovo; Abdullah Karjagdiu, Vice-President, Parliamentary Party of Kosovo; Mark Krasniqi, Chairman, Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo; Veton Surroi, Editor-in-Chief, Koha. Representatives of the Socialist Party of Serbia were invited, but did not attend.
The first roundtable "Democratic Processes and Ethnic Relations in Yugoslavia" was held in Belgrade in June 1995. At that meeting the Socialist Party of Serbia proposed to begin serious discussions towards seeking a solution to the problems in Serb-Albanian relations. The most important result of the first roundtable was the support of this initiative by the Democratic League of Kosovo.
A number of political events in Serbia/Yugoslavia delayed the resumption of the discussions. Finally the participants agreed to convene the second roundtable early in 1997, this time in New York City. The meeting was sponsored by the Project on Ethnic Relations.
The participants engaged in intensive discussions and exchange of views. Several common points emerged at the meeting.
The participants agreed to meet on a regular basis, and plan to reconvene the roundtable as soon as possible in Belgrade, Prishtina, and other suitable locations. The next session will be organized by the Project on Ethnic Relations (USA) in cooperation with the Forum for Ethnic Relations and the Democratic Center Foundation (Yugoslavia).
Accepting the fact that this is a difficult process, the participants urge that a step-by-step approach aimed at facilitating the beginnings of political negotiations on the full range of issues be initiated without further delay. Participants realize their responsibility for the future of the Balkans, Yugoslavia, and Kosovo. The participants reconfirm their commitment to the peaceful resolution of all disputes.
The Socialist Party, as the current ruling party in Serbia, has a special responsibility for promoting the democratic and peaceful resolution of problems in Kosovo. Therefore, the participants urge the Socialist Party of Serbia, which participated in the first roundtable and suggested that there be a second one, to participate in the future work of the roundtable.
The only possible framework for discussions of such issues must be democratization, mutual respect between the sides, respect for human rights, both individual and collective, and promotion of regional stability.
The participants are grateful to the Project on Ethnic Relations and other
American institutions for their continuing support in promoting dialogue on
this issue and democratization in the region, and hope for similar support
from European institutions and organizations. However, all parties recognize
that solutions must be reached by the Serbian and Kosovar Albanian political
actors themselves.
SERB-ALBANIAN KOSOVO ROUNDTABLE
New York City
April 7-9, 1997
PARTICIPANTS
From Belgrade:
Vuk Draskovic, President, Serbian Renewal Movement
Dusan Janjic, Director, Institute of Social Sciences; Coordinator, Forum for Ethnic Relations
Miroljub Labus, Vice-President, Democratic Party
Dragoljub Micunovic, President, Party of Democratic Center
Dusan Mihajlovic, President, New Democracy Party
Vesna Pesic, President, Civic Alliance of Serbia
From Prishtina:
Fehmi Agani, Vice-President, Democratic League of Kosova
Mahmut Bakalli, former Chairman, Kosovo Provincial Committee of the Union of Communists of Yugoslavia
Adem Demaci, President, Parliamentary Party of Kosova
Hidajet Hyseni, Vice-President, Democratic League of Kosova
Abdullah Karjagdiu, Vice-President, Parliamentary Party of Kosova
Mark Krasniqi, Chairman, Christian Democratic Party of Kosova
Veton Surroi, Editor-in-Chief, Koha
OBSERVERS From the United States
Steven Burg, Professor, Brandeis University
Aleksey Grigor'ev, Program Associate, Project on Ethnic Relations
David Hamburg, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York
Robert Hayden, Professor, University of Pittsburgh
Allen Kassof, President, Project on Ethnic Relations
Matt Palmer, Country Director for Serbia/Montenegro, US State Department
Rudolf Perina, Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs
David L. Phillips, Director, Project on the South Balkans, Council on Foreign Relations, Center for Preventive Action
Livia Plaks, Executive Director, Project on Ethnic Relations
Barnett Rubin, Director, Center for Preventive Action, Council on Foreign Relations
John Scanlan, former US Ambassador to Yugoslavia; Member, PER Council for Ethnic Accord
David Speedie, Program Chair, Program on Preventing Deadly Conflict, Carnegie Corporation of New York
Cyrus Vance, former Secretary of State; Member, PER Council on Ethnic Accord
Alexander Vershbow, Special Assistant to the President, Director for
European Affairs, National Security Council, the White House
GUESTS
Jeanette Mansour, Program Officer, The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation