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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 ofconfidence between the sides cannot be overcome or a lasting settlementreached.
- The problem can only be resolved by mutual accord reached throughdialogue that is entered into with no preconditions or prejudgment ofpossible outcomes.
- The agreement must be based on the principles of democratization, mutualrespect between the sides, respect for human rights, both individual andcollective, and promotion of regional stability through respect for Helsinkiprinciples concerning borders. An interim solution requires a democraticKosovo 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 figuresmet in New York City to continue the roundtable discussions of Serb-Albanianrelations and the issues of mutual concern over Kosovo.
The participants included, from Belgrade: Vuk Draskovic, President, SerbianRenewal Movement; Dusan Janjic, Coordinator, Forum for Ethnic Relations;Miroljub Labus, Vice-President, Democratic Party; Dragoljub Micunovic,President, Party of Democratic Center; Dusan Mihajlovic, President, NewDemocracy Party; Vesna Pesic, President, Civic Alliance of Serbia; fromPrishtina: Fehmi Agani, Vice-President, Democratic League of Kosovo; MahmutBakalli, former political leader of Kosovo; Adem Demaci, President,Parliamentary Party of Kosovo; Hydajet Hyseni, Vice-President, DemocraticLeague of Kosovo; Abdullah Karjagdiu, Vice-President, Parliamentary Party ofKosovo; Mark Krasniqi, Chairman, Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo; VetonSurroi, Editor-in-Chief, Koha. Representatives of the Socialist Party ofSerbia were invited, but did not attend.
The first roundtable "Democratic Processes and Ethnic Relations inYugoslavia" was held in Belgrade in June 1995. At that meeting the SocialistParty of Serbia proposed to begin serious discussions towards seeking asolution to the problems in Serb-Albanian relations. The most importantresult of the first roundtable was the support of this initiative by theDemocratic League of Kosovo.
A number of political events in Serbia/Yugoslavia delayed the resumption ofthe discussions. Finally the participants agreed to convene the secondroundtable early in 1997, this time in New York City. The meeting wassponsored 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 reconvenethe roundtable as soon as possible in Belgrade, Prishtina, and othersuitable locations. The next session will be organized by the Project onEthnic Relations (USA) in cooperation with the Forum for Ethnic Relationsand the Democratic Center Foundation (Yugoslavia).
Accepting the fact that this is a difficult process, the participants urgethat a step-by-step approach aimed at facilitating the beginnings ofpolitical negotiations on the full range of issues be initiated withoutfurther delay. Participants realize their responsibility for the future ofthe Balkans, Yugoslavia, and Kosovo. The participants reconfirm theircommitment to the peaceful resolution of all disputes.
The Socialist Party, as the current ruling party in Serbia, has a specialresponsibility for promoting the democratic and peaceful resolution ofproblems in Kosovo. Therefore, the participants urge the Socialist Party ofSerbia, which participated in the first roundtable and suggested that therebe a second one, to participate in the future work of the roundtable.
The only possible framework for discussions of such issues must bedemocratization, 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 otherAmerican institutions for their continuing support in promoting dialogue onthis issue and democratization in the region, and hope for similar supportfrom European institutions and organizations. However, all parties recognizethat solutions must be reached by the Serbian and Kosovar Albanian politicalactors 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 forEthnic 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 ofCommunists 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 EuropeanAffairs
David L. Phillips, Director, Project on the South Balkans, Council onForeign Relations, Center for Preventive Action
Livia Plaks, Executive Director, Project on Ethnic Relations
Barnett Rubin, Director, Center for Preventive Action, Council on ForeignRelations
John Scanlan, former US Ambassador to Yugoslavia; Member, PER Council forEthnic 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 forEuropean Affairs, National Security Council, the White House
GUESTS
Jeanette Mansour, Program Officer, The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation