REPLY OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF
YUGOSLAVIA, MR. SLOBODAN MILOSEVIÆ TO THE MESSAGE OF
THE CO-CHAIRMEN OF THE RAMBOULLET MEETING, MINISTERS
OF FRANCE AND OF GREAT BRITAIN, MESSRS HUBERT VEDRINE
AND ROBIN COOK
Gentlemen Ministers,
This is my reply to the message you have sent me.
The talks in Paris, which you called adjourned, did not take place at all.
The delegation of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the
representatives of the Albanian separatist and terrorist movement never met
to talk.
As concerns the signed "Agreement", two documents were signed in Paris.
One of the documents was signed by the representatives of all national
communities from Kosovo, and these are the representatives of Kosovo. The
other document was signed by the representatives of the Albanian separatist
and terrorist movement, and they, of course, are not the representatives of
Kosovo.
That other document, which you call the Rambouillet Agreement, however, is
not the Rambouillet Agreement. For neither in Ramouillet, nor in Paris,
people who came to negotiate, did negotiate. There were no talks between
them, therefore there could be no common document to be accepted or
rejected.
Otherwise, the text you call the Rambouillet Agreement, was published in
the Kosovo press (the Albanian paper "Koha Ditore") before the start of the
Rambouilet talks.
Belgrade is tolerant, but not stupid. Thanks to the stupidity of someone
else, the document which should have been the result of the talks which
were still to take place, was published.
Of course, we have nothing against preparing a draft document before the
start of the talks. But we are strongly against not having talks at all,
and being asked to sign something which could eventually be a draft
agreement as an agreement, never meeting those with whom we should have
agreed.
Therefore, my reply to your sentence "the agreement is on the table", is
the following: Only a draft agreement could be at the table. But an empty
table does not bring about an agreement. Nor can an agreement be reached
only if one side of the table is filled. Those concerned with the agreement
must sit at the table.
Regarding your threats with NATO military intervention, your peoples should
be ashamed of them, for you prepare yourselves to use force against a small
European nation, just because it protects its territory from separatism,
protects its citizens from terrorism, and its historical dignity against
rats who know nothing about history or dignity.
You say that large movements of our security forces are a matter of great
concern. If you think they are a matter of concern for the separatists who
would like to take away a part of the territory of Serbia and Yugoslavia,
they, of course, should be concerned. If you have in mind some possible
aggressors outside Yugoslavia, this should be a matter of concern for them,
too.
It is really possible for a normal person to think that somebody who is
being threatened will not show the intention to defend himself.
You are, Gentlemen, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of two European countries,
and as such are distinguished diplomats. In such a capacity, you have the
right to mediate, to negotiate, to advocate goodwill, to strive for peace
in Europe, for better relations among nations. But you do not have the
right to threaten other countries and other citizens, nor to arrange life
in other countries.
We stay with our strong opinion to solve the problems in Kosovo and
Metohija by peaceful means, through negotiations. The fact that
negotiations did not take place in Rambouillet and in Paris does not mean
that we should give up negotiations. At least from our peaceful and
democratic standpoint.
Slobodan Milosevic
PROSIRITE LISTU U JUGOSLAVIJI I SVETU.
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