Mr. President, let me at the outset welcome the fact that you are personally presiding over today’s meeting. I should like to thank the Secretary-General for his report and Mr. Jessen-Petersen for his briefing, and to thank Mr. Covic for his introduction.

The situation in Kosovo is now at an important stage with respect to its future as well as the stability of the Balkan region. We have always believed that a comprehensive and proper settlement of the question of Kosovo requires the full implementation of the various standards, in accordance with resolution 1244 (1999). Meanwhile, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and Montenegro must be respected.

According to the Secretary-General’s report, the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government have taken some positive measures and have achieved some positive results in the implementation of standards in certain areas. However, there has been little progress in the areas of the return of refugees and freedom of movement of minorities. Progress has also been slow in dealing with unemployment, economic development and raising the living standards of minorities. We hope that all ethnic groups in Kosovo will endeavour to enhance mutual trust and promote reconciliation so as to lay a good foundation for the establishment of a society characterized by peaceful coexistence. We welcome the willingness of the leaders of Serbia and Montenegro to engage in direct dialogue with the Kosovo authorities, as this will be conducive to the final settlement of the question of Kosovo. We hope that dialogue will resume as soon as possible and lead to positive developments in the situation.

This year is a very crucial one for Kosovo, as the Security Council will be considering the implementation of the standards. Work on implementation of the standards must therefore continue, and all parties should promote the implementation process in a spirit of sincerity and practicality. Only substantive results in the areas of the economy, security, ethnic reconciliation and the establishment of a society based on multi-ethnic, peaceful coexistence can lead to the definitive settlement of the question of Kosovo.