Commissioner Patten to visit Pristina and Belgrade, 10th-12th September, 2003

The Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten will visit Pristina and Belgrade this week to support efforts for greater stability, and progress towards closer association with the European Union. During his visit he will meet the new Special Representative of the Secretary General (UN Mission in Kosovo), the President and Prime Minister of Kosovo's Provisional Institutions of Self Government (PISG) as well as other leading political figures. He will also address the PISG Assembly for the first time. He will go on to see the President of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro and the Prime Ministers of the two Republics as well as other key political figures from the ruling coalition and from the DSS and G17 Plus parties. During his visit to Belgrade the Commissioner will underline the importance that the European Union attaches to the rule of law, by accompanying the Serbian Justice and Interior Minister on a visit to a court which is to be refurbished by the EU for trials connected with organised crime. On the eve of his visit, Commissioner Patten said: "As far as Kosovo is concerned, the urgent need is to get away from provocative position-taking on final status. We need to concentrate on getting a constructive dialogue started between Belgrade and Pristina as soon as possible on matters of common concern. The European Commission looks forward to playing its full part. Ethnic tensions must not be allowed to set back political and economic progress in Kosovo. In Serbia and Montenegro, I will be setting out the many important areas which we will be examining to see whether it will be possible to recommend that we can move forward in due course to negotiate a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia and Montenegro. Top of the list in this Feasibility Study will be an assessment of the commitment of the State Union and Republican governments to democratic values and of their determination to implement their international obligations".