The EU presidency (Nederlands) Declaration on International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia

international | crime and justice | other press Wednesday November 24, 2004 11:36 by ipsiphi - C/P

{niet privatglasnot}

The Presidency of the European Union has taken note of the reports of the President and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia before the Security Council on 23 November regarding progress towards implementation of the Completion Strategy of the Tribunal.

While welcoming the measures that have been taken to implement the Completion Strategy, the Presidency notes with deep concern that fugitives accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law, in particular Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic and Ante Gotovina, remain at large.

The Presidency of the European Union urges the countries of the region to fully and timely implement their obligation to cooperate with ICTY.

*****************************************
Other Eastern EU neighbour news-

Prime minister Balkenende talks to Ukrainian president by telephone-

The President of the European Council and prime minister of the Netherlands, Jan Peter Balkenende, today called the Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, to express his serious concern about the second round of the presidential elections in Ukraine.

Prime minister Balkenende reminded the Ukrainian president that the EU had already on previous occasions expressed its concern about the first round of these elections and had called upon the Ukrainian authorities to make sure that he second round would be free and fair.

While awaiting the official final findings and conclusions of the election observation mission of OSCE/ODIHR, the prime minister expressed his doubts whether the preliminary results of the second round as published by the Ukrainian Central Election Committee reflected the will of the Ukrainian electorate, given the initial OSCE/ODIHR findings.

The telephone call to President Kuchma was preceded by a phone call to the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn, in which prime minister Balkenende urged a review of the electoral process and the results of the second round, in line with the position of EU foreign ministers yesterday. Mr Lytvyn informed the EU Presidency about an extraordinary session of the Ukrainian Parliament later today.

The activities of the Dutch EU presidency follow yesterday’s meeting of EU ministers of Foreign Affairs, where a number of steps were agreed upon to show the EU’s continued engagement with events in the Ukraine, including through the calling in of the Ukrainian ambassadors in all EU capitals to transfer the EU’s message of great concern. The Presidency called in the Ukrainian ambassador in the Netherlands yesterday on which occasion the same message was transferred."

**************************
and Bylerus-

General Affairs and External Relations Council, 22 November 2004

Unfortunately we have ascertained that there is a lack of progress with regard to democracy, justice and human rights. This is most regrettable.

The Council is worried about the electoral proceedings and the recent referendum of 17 October. The outcome of the elections and the referendum are not a reflection of the will of the population. Moreover the Council regrets the brutal conduct with regard to peaceful demonstrators, individual members of the opposition and journalists.

We call on the government of Belarus to stop obstructing and impeding political parties, the media, NGOs and other academic institutions.

The Council has therefore decided to take the following actions:

-Maintain the dialogue with (the population of) Belarus
-Visa ban for those persons who were responsible for the fraud during the elections and the referendum and for violating human rights
- The EU wishes to deepen relations with Belarus including the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), but the country has to clearly demonstrate that it respects democracy.
-Belarus is in danger of isolating itself from the outside world. The EU wants to prevent this, but this means that the Belarusian authorities will have to be open to this.

*********************

A lot of hmmmming and a lot of regretting and a lot of carrot. Oh well at least no-one's mentioning the stick yet.