S/PV.4543 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Germany, Italy, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in which they request to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In accordance with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. After consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council reaffirms its previous relevant resolutions and statements regarding Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in particular the statements of its President of 7 March 2001 (S/PRST/2001/7) and 9 November 2001 (S/PRST/2001/34). “The Security Council deplores the adoption by the Assembly of Kosovo, in its session of 23 May 2002, of a ‘resolution on the protection of the territorial integrity of Kosovo’. It concurs with the Special Representative of the Secretary- General that such resolutions and decisions by the Assembly on matters which do not fall within its field of competence are null and void. “The Security Council calls on Kosovo’s elected leaders to focus their attention on the urgent matters for which they have responsibility, in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999) of 10 June 1999 and the Constitutional Framework. Concrete progress in those areas is of paramount importance to improve the life of the people. “The Security Council reiterates its full support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. It urges Kosovo’s leaders to work in close cooperation with the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the international security presence (KFOR) with a view to promote a better future for Kosovo and stability in the region. All steps undermining those efforts are detrimental to this common objective.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2002/16. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.