NEW YORK , YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH UN SECURITY COUNCIL CHAIRWOMAN
Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic met on Tuesday in New York with UN SC chairwoman , Ambassador Patricia Duran from Jamaica, the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry said.
Discussed was Kosovo and Metohija and the implementation of Security Council resolution 1244, and the security situation in the region. Svilanovic and Duran tackled in particular issues relating to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija ahead of the elections.
Svilanovic, the statement said, pointed to the importance of the consistent implementation of the joint document signed by the authorities of FR Yugoslavia and UN secretary general special envoy for Kosovo and Metohija Hans Haekkerup.
Svilanovic said he expected that the implementation of the document will lead to the stabilization of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and the improvement of the position of Serbs, the statement said.

YUGOSLAVIA URGES STRENGTHENING OF UN ROLE
NEW YORK, Nov 13 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic addressed Tuesday the UN General Assembly and said that Yugoslavia supports the international fight against terrorism and the UN endeavors to strengthen its role in international relations, and urged for better cooperation among Balkan countries and for full
respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states in the region. The following are excerpts of his address:
"Terrorism is a universal evil, a crime against humanity itself. It affects equally people of every religion, of every nationality, of every walk of life. We therefore did not hesitate to fully support all international actions against terrorism. In that context, it is particularly important to ensure the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 and all international conventions against terrorism. In the name of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia I have just signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. Yugoslavia has also taken a series of domestic measures to combat terrorism and has coordinated its actions with other States.
"Having been confronted with terrorism for quite some time itself, Yugoslavia is well aware of how difficult it is to fight this evil. It is not enough to prevent terrorist attacks and to capture and punish their perpetrators. It is even more important to deal with social causes of terrorism, in particular to address issues of poverty and the lack of opportunity. It is also vital to strengthen democracy and respect for human rights everywhere in the world. Poverty breeds anger, and if not channeled into democratic political process, anger can easily fuel extremism.
"In this regard, the experience of Yugoslavia in dealing with terrorism in southern Serbia has showed that it is not sufficient to combat terrorism solely with security forces. We have therefore developed a comprehensive plan which, in addition to security measures, aims also at improving the economic situation in southern Serbia and reintegrating ethnic Albanians in the political process and State structures, especially at the local level. We implement this plan in cooperation with a number of international organizations and this joint effort has proved to be successful. At this very moment, we are successfully training multiethnic police as an important confidence-building measure.
"All this would not be possible without the victory of democratic forces in Yugoslavia last year. This democratic revolution showed the strong will of the Yugoslav people to live in a democratic society based on the rule of law, full respect for human and minority rights and sustainable market economy. It also showed their desire to live better lives in a more prosperous society, in peace with their neighbors and as a part of the European family of nations. In order to achieve these goals, Yugoslavia has started a process of comprehensive political and economic reforms over the last year.
"At the same time, we have to deal with several pressing issues which are of crucial importance for the country. Foremost among these issues are the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, southern Serbia and the redefinition of the Yugoslav federation. However, these questions do not concern Yugoslavia alone; they are also of
vital political importance for the entire region of South East Europe. My Government has approached all of them in a constructive way and with a desire to find political solutions through dialogue in democratic environment.
"Today, all countries in South East Europe have democratically elected governments and all strive to join European and Euro-Atlantic structures. At the same time, our region is still burdened with the legacy of the last ten years and a number of outstanding issues, the main of which is the position of national minorities. The problems of the region are interrelated and have thus to be addressed by broad regional action and with the help of the international community. The solutions to be achieved should enjoy region-wide support.
"I believe that the precondition for dealing with the problems in the region is to fully respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries. It must be clearly said that the era of disintegration in the Balkans has come to an end. This will enable us to address the main problem of South East Europe - the status of national minorities - with less reservations and much more openly. Solving the minority issues, together with more economic cooperation and new confidence-building measures, is the way to achieve lasting stability and prosperity in the region. Such an approach will be in full concert with the wish of all counties in the region, including Yugoslavia, to join the European integration processes. In that context, Yugoslavia supports the process of stabilization and association, inaugurated by the European Union at the Zagreb Summit last year, as well as other regional initiatives.
"Kosovo and Metohija is the most pressing and immediate preoccupation of my Government. The Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia fully complies with Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). This is also what we rightly expect from others participating in its implementation.
"Unfortunately, we are not satisfied with the situation in the field. There is no security for non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija, the return of expelled and displaced persons is difficult and slow and there is no progress with respect to the issue of missing persons. Nonetheless, we signed the Common Document with UNMIK, which should provide for comprehensive cooperation in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999). This enabled the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Federal and Serbian Republican Governments to call on the Serbs of Kosovo and Metohija to take part in the elections. They did so fully convinced that participation in the elections is in the Serbs' best interest and that cooperation with the international community,
particularly with UNMIK and KFOR, is the key for the solution of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija.
"The elections in Kosovo and Metohija on 17 November are important indeed; yet, it is only after the elections that I expect that we commence even more extensive cooperation. This cooperation should be aimed at implementing Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) fully and at establishing democracy and promoting human rights in Kosovo and Metohija, with full respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In that connection, my delegation welcomes the Statement of President of the Security Council of 9 November 2001.
"I take this opportunity to affirm the support of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the efforts of the United Nations, particularly those of the Secretary-General, aimed at strengthening the role and place of the world Organization in present-day international relations.
"Recalling the conclusions of the Millenium session, we expect that the General Assembly, the main organ of the United Nations, function more effectively. At the same time, the Organization should be more efficient in order to address the challenges before us. The Security Council should adapt itself to the new relations in the
international community.
"We attach special significance to the international rule of law. It is of particular importance that all international crimes be punished before national and international courts. In that context, we firmly believe that the International Criminal Court should start its work as soon as possible. This is why my country has already ratified the Statute of Rome, establishing the Court".

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