CEI CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING IN KOSOVO

( Editorial: --> 9399 ) BRIJUNI, June 6 (Hina) - The Foreign Ministers of the Central European Initiative Saturday strongly condemned the violence in Kosovo and the ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Serbian forces over Albanians, and decided to send its mission to the Albanian-Yugoslav border to get acquainted with the situation. This year's CEI conference, taking place on the Brijuni Isles, northern Adriatic, paid special attention to security issues in south-eastern Europe, and the Kosovo crisis in particular. In a special statement on Kosovo issued after the meeting, the CEI ministers expressed deep concern at the situation in the south Yugoslav province and demanded immediate cessation of violence. The ministers strongly condemn any form of violence, ethnic cleansing and all forms of terrorism. They are especially concerned at the latest increase in the use of force by Yugoslav authorities which increases the number of casualties and damage, the statement said. The CEI ministers decided to send to Albania a troika, including representatives of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Czech Republic, to inspect the situation on the border between Albania and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The CEI also demands that Yugoslavia accept a mission which would include representatives of the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and that it return a permanent OSCE mission to the areas of Sandzak, Kosovo and Vojvodina. Today's statement also supports a possible deployment of NATO forces along Albanian and Yugoslav borders. The CEI foreign ministers were also concerned about the increasing number of refugees from Kosovo, estimated between 10,000 and 20,000 at present. They demanded that Yugoslav authorities allow humanitarian organisations access to the area. The Kosovo crisis should be resolved through political negotiations on the province's status, with respect of Yugoslavia's territorial integrity and of the Kosovo residents' human and civil rights. The statement appeals to Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians to unconditionally continue with the severed negotiations, in order to reach a mutually satisfying solution. Albania's state secretary for European integration Ilir Meta told reporters after the conference that the principles of right to self-determination and non-alteration of borders should be respected in Albanian-Serbian negotiations about the status of Kosovo. Albania will be satisfied with a solution satisfying to Kosovo Albanians, he said, but added the status of republic, as in the case of Montenegro, could be the solution to the crisis. (hina) ha 061707 MET jun 98