Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-02-11-Speech-3-214"
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"en.20040211.7.3-214"2
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".
The Western Balkans will of course remain an important European Union foreign policy priority during the Irish presidency, as it has been during the preceding presidencies. We will seek in particular to build on the progress and good work by the Greek and Italian presidencies last year. The institutional framework for the Irish presidency is provided by the agenda agreed by the EU-Western Balkans summit in Thessaloniki last June, which I attended. That summit confirmed that the future of the countries of the Western Balkans lies in their integration into the European Union structures.
Real progress has been made in Kosovo in recent times, on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The Council fully supports Harri Holkeri, the UN Special Representative for Kosovo, as he works to operationalise the policy of 'standards before status' and to ensure progress on the direct dialogue on practical issues between Belgrade and Pristina. Indeed, there could be no better special representative in this regard than Mr Holkeri; we in Ireland have reason to be grateful for his skills and particularly his negotiating skills. These are essential elements for further progress towards an eventual settlement to the status question.
In December the Council underlined the importance of structural economic reforms in Kosovo. Progress in the privatisation process is a key element in implementing economic reforms. The Council called on the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government to exercise their responsibilities constructively so as to enable the privatisation process to resume as soon as possible.
The Irish presidency will work to ensure the closest possible cooperation between the European Union and the wider international community in support of Special Representative Mr Holkeri.
In November, the Council reaffirmed the Union's readiness to assist in the realisation of a multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo, within its place in Europe, in the context of the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1244 and the 'standards before status' policy.
We look forward to an early discussion of the report which the November Council requested High Representative Javier Solana to prepare, in close cooperation with the Commission and also in cooperation with Mr Holkeri. This will explore ways and means of further enhancing the European Union's contribution to the implementation of resolution 1244, taking full account of the stabilisation and association process tracking mechanism and the importance of the effective implementation of the 'standards before status' benchmarks."@en1
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