ROBERTSON CALLS ON ALL KOSOVO RESIDENTS TO VOTE

PRISTINA, Nov 8 (Hina) - NATO Secretary-General George Robertson has called on all residents of Kosovo to vote in a Nov. 17 general election, reiterating NATO would support a multiethnic Kosovo after the ballot as well. Kosovo's fate will be determined in great part by the results of the upcoming election, Robertson told reporters in Pristina on Thursday, hopeful the people will take this unique chance. He said he was glad the Kosovo Serbs and the other minorities had been encouraged to vote. Robertson reminded that in 1999 NATO had launched an action to stop the creation of a monoethnic Kosovo. NATO will not tolerate the creation of another monoethnic state, he emphasised, adding the Alliance's support to a multiethnic and democratic Kosovo would see to that. During his one-day stay in the southern Yugoslav province, Robertson held talks with the UN civil administrator Hans Haekkerup, the commander of the KFOR peacekeepers, French General Marcel Valentin, and local Albanian and Serbian political leaders. The talks addressed the current security situation and the course of the electoral campaign. According to the interlocutors, the NATO official strongly supported the Kosovo ballot, particularly the Serb community's decision to vote, and commended the peaceful and tolerant electoral campaign. (hina) ha