JOURNAL No. 2

2nd DAY OF THE 27th MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE

1. Date: Tuesday, 14 June 1994
   • Opened: 10.30 a.m.
   • Suspended: 1.05 p.m.
   • Resumed: 3.25 p.m.
   • Suspended: 6.55 p.m.
   • Resumed: 8.20 p.m.
   • Closed: 10.30 p.m.

2. Chairman: Mr. P. Bruni (Italy)

3. Subjects discussed:

   Agenda item 3:

   Request for admission to the CSCE as a participating State

   Agenda item 4:

   Activity of the CSCE institutions:
   - Report by: the Director of the ODIHR

   Agenda item 5:

   Further development of the capabilities of the CSCE in conflict prevention and crisis management

   Agenda item 6:

   Situation in the CSCE region. Current issues and CSCE involvement:

   1. CSCE focus on Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)
   2. Political situation in Crimea (Ukraine). CSCE involvement
   3. Information on the implementation of paragraph 15 of the Helsinki Summit Declaration 1992
   4. Other current issues and CSCE involvement

   Agenda item 7:

   Further development of the role of the CSCE:

   1. Co-operation and contacts with the United Nations as well as with European and transatlantic organizations and institutions
   2. Relations between the CSCE and the European Union initiative on the Pact for Stability
   3. Integration of recently admitted participating States

4. Statements:

   Agenda item 3:

   Greece, Holy See, Albania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, United States of America, Bulgaria, Poland, Sweden, Croatia, Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Turkey, Slovak Republic, Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Norway, Ireland, Netherlands, Belarus, Czech Republic, Chairman

   It was the understanding of the Chair that there was no objection to allowing the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to take the floor at the current session on this issue.

   The delegation of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

   The Chairman announced with regret his understanding that there was no consensus on the request (see CSCE Communication No. 21/Rev.1) for admission to the CSCE as a participating State by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, currently an observer in the CSCE process, and that the overwhelming majority within the CSCE requested that this question be resolved positively and with the utmost urgency.

   The delegation of Albania stated: "Mr. Chairman, I asked for the floor, on behalf of this delegation, in order to clarify the position of the Albanian Government vis vis the request of Macedonia for membership of the CSCE.

   Macedonia has applied for full participation in this forum for some time now. Albania, for its part, has not hesitated to present, both in the bilateral contacts and through this forum, its arguments which made it limit its consensus to the observer status for Macedonia. For the sake of clarity and in order to avoid any misunderstanding which might arise on this issue, this delegation would like to reiterate that our reservations were related exclusively to the rights of Albanians living in Macedonia.

   Our reservations concerning the situation of the Albanians in Macedonia were not prejudicial of the attitude of the Albanian Government as to bilateral relations in other fields. Desirous of good neighbourliness and mutual respect, we have tried to overcome situations of distrust, looking for a higher level of relationship with our neighbour. This purpose was served by various meetings at different levels, the most important being the last summit between Berisha and Gligorov, which was considered by both sides as the most fruitful, that opens up vistas for further extension and rapid development of our relations in various fields. We have concluded so far several mutually important agreements; indeed most recently we have signed the agreement on technical and scientific co-operation, and work is going ahead for the conclusion of an agricultural agreement. Offering our transport and trade facilities to Macedonia after the embargo is an expression of our goodwill for good neighbourly and stable relations. We think that where there's a will there's a way, and any particular obstacle can be easily overcome.

   To this end, and with its requests to the Macedonian Government, the Government of Albania has not only meant the realization in practice of the rights that the Albanian population living there is entitled to, but also the stabilization of the ethnic situation in Macedonia and the prevention of its further deterioration; we have judged, and still continue to do so, that the Albanians, both on account of their number and their activity, constitute an essential factor of the overall internal life of the Macedonian State. In our opinion, this fact is undoubtedly connected with the activity of preventing ethnic conflicts in the region.

   This delegation wishes to frame all the above reasons with the responsibility of each participating State to observe and respect all the CSCE documents and their commitments and principles, as well as efforts of this forum to be effectively involved in preventive diplomatic activity. We have considered all this both as a fundamental right and as an obligation.

   We take particular pleasure in noting that the census is to be held by the end of this month, and we very much hope everything will proceed as it should.

   This undertaking represents an important step towards the just and overall settlement of the problems of the Albanians. Our bilateral meetings, the positive impact of the presence of the CSCE mission and the successful activation of the CSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities constitute a good basis which will help for a serious and careful approach, full of attention, towards the requests of the Albanians by the Government of Macedonia.

   Mr. Chairman, my country joins its voice with all those delegations that give their consensus for the full membership of Macedonia in the CSCE. We sincerely hope that this move will be considered as an invitation to the Macedonian Government for a more effective co-operation, goodwill and disposition as regards the questions relating to the position of the Albanians living there. We are firmly convinced that Macedonia will also rely on the relevant expertise of the CSCE and its mechanisms to continuously and carefully address this question.

   On the other hand, it is our conviction that the presence of Macedonia in this forum is an important factor which, now more than ever before, should be viewed realistically rather than emotionally; in doing so we take into account the current regional situation, and the valuable contribution which it could make to regional stability. This has been the major reason why Albania was among the first countries to recognize the independent State of Macedonia.

   In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to strongly reiterate the opinion of this delegation that only a just, serious and continuous approach to the requests of the Albanians there, will turn out to be a fundamental lasting element of stability for Macedonia and for the entire region. We therefore appeal that the census, as the first step, be soon followed by the fulfilment of other commitments by the Macedonian Government towards the Albanians, as foreseen in the regular reports of the CSCE mission and the CSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. On this occasion, I would like to ask the Chairman to kindly record this statement in the Journal of this meeting, as well as our request to keep this item and its follow-up on the agenda also after the full participation of Macedonia."

   Agenda item 4:

   Director of the ODIHR, Turkey, Greece-European Union, Denmark, Poland, Kyrgyzstan, United States of America, Chairman

   Agenda item 5:

   Italy (as Chairman of the Permanent Committee of the CSCE), Greece-European Union, Russian Federation, United States of America, United Kingdom, Turkey, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Chairman

   Agenda item 6:

   Chairman

   1. Albania, Greece-European Union, Canada, Russian Federation, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Turkey, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Sweden, Austria, United States of America, Holy See, Secretary General of the CSCE, Chairman

      Contribution by Japan

   2. Italy (as Representative of the Chairman-in-Office responsible for CSCE missions), Ukraine, Hungary, Greece- European Union, Russian Federation, France, Poland, Turkey, United States of America, Canada, Finland, Slovak Republic, Estonia, Czech Republic, Romania, Germany, Moldova, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Chairman

   3. Estonia, United States of America, Lithuania, Sweden, Canada, Iceland, Poland, Finland, Chairman

   4. Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Russian Federation, United States of America, Greece-European Union, Turkey, United Kingdom, Chairman

   Agenda item 7:

   1. Chairman, United States of America, Switzerland, Poland, Canada, Norway, Bulgaria, Representative of the Secretary- General of the United Nations, Albania

   2. Greece-European Union (address by the Chairman of the European Union ad hoc high-level working group on the Pact for Stability), Estonia, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, France, Turkey, Cyprus, Chairman

   3. Secretary General of the CSCE, Greece- European Union, United States of America, Romania, Sweden, Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Turkey, Chairman

5. Chairman's statement: Under agenda item 4 above,

   "It is the understanding of the Chair that the Committee of Senior Officials has expressed appreciation for the efforts going on in the informal Financial Committee of Experts based on the Secretary General's proposal as complemented by the ODIHR for the establishment of a comprehensive system for personnel classification and pay structure for all CSCE staff. The importance was underlined of getting this issue resolved as soon as possible. Therefore the Permanent Committee is asked to make the necessary arrangements so that the informal Financial Committee of Experts finalizes its recommendations before the summer break and that these recommendations be thereafter placed on the agenda of the Permanent Committee of the CSCE."

6. Next meeting:

   Wednesday, 15 June 1994, at 10 a.m., in the Plenary hall
   Chair: Italy