8 June, General Affairs Council

Date: 11/06/1998

EU FOREIGN ministers imposed a ban on new investments in Serbia in response to continued violence in the Albanian-dominated province of Kosovo. They also threatened further measures if Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic failed to halt fighting between his police and guerrillas from the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). “We are deeply concerned at the intense fighting in Kosovo,” said ministers in a statement. “We are disturbed by reports that these attacks are beginning to constitute a new wave of ethnic cleansing.” British Foreign Minister Robin Cook added: “I very much hope that this time President Milosevic is listening to what is being said. This is his last warning.”

MINISTERS also urged Milosevic to permit full access to Kosovo by the International Committee of the Red Cross, humanitarian organisations, foreign observers and forensic experts. In addition, they called on international security organisations to prepare for further measures, including a peacekeeping exercise. They also condemned violence for political ends by Albanians, adding: “The EU is determined to play its part in stopping the flow of money and weapons to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).”

SERBIA's official news agency Tanjug described the investment ban as “odd and incomprehensible”, especially as the Union had exempted the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro. EU ministers called on their officials to consider further assistance to the republic, including trade preferences for “products for which Montenegro was the sole producer within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)”. They also urged further democratic progress in Bosnia, ahead of this September's elections.

THE Council reiterated its condemnation of India and Pakistan's nuclear tests, describing them as a “grave threat” to international peace. It called on both countries to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and to “work actively” for talks on a new treaty to ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. Ministers said they would “review the advisability” of international lending to Pakistan “in the light of the economic and financial circumstances”. They also called on the European Commission to consider Pakistan's tests when reviewing its Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), and withdrew previous demands for an EU cooperation agreement with Pakistan to be accelerated.

FOREIGN ministers held an “in-depth discussion” on a new trade and aid relationship with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states, including alternatives to Commission proposals for inter-regional free trade areas. Ministers restated their aim to agree a negotiating mandate by 29 June, in time for the launch of negotiations on 30 September.

MINISTERS called for “political reform and early elections” in Indonesia, and the release of all remaining political prisoners. The Council “looked forward” to a troika visit to East Timor, and called for “a renewed commitment” to United Nations-sponsored talks.