RESOLUTION B3-1570, 1577, 1582, 1594, 1597 and 1620/92

Resolution on the widening conflict in the former Yugoslavia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the former Yugoslavia, and in particular its resolution of 29 October 1992 on the impending catastrophe in Bosnia and the violation of human rights in former Yugoslavia,

A. concerned at the continuation of the terrible war in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the growing risk of the conflict spreading to other regions, in particular Kosovo and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia,

B. whereas there is a risk of the conflict spreading to neighbouring countries,

With regard to the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina:

1. Reaffirms its condemnation of the acts of murder committed against the civilian population and the raping of women carried out principally by Serbian forces, and rejects the policy of ethnic cleansing and the siege of defenceless cities;

2. Is appalled at the fact that many thousands of refugees and former concentration camp inmates are unable to leave Bosnia-Herzegovina because no country is prepared to accept them, and calls on the Member States as a matter of urgency to open their borders and their funds to solve the refugee problem in accordance with the principles of equal burden-sharing;

3. Considers the response of the Member States to the appeal from the UNHCR to accept certain categories of refugees as very insufficient;

4. Supports the efforts of the co-chairmen of the international conference to seek a solution to the conflict, and in particular the proposed draft constitution for the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and respect for its territorial integrity;

5. Encourages and supports the efforts of those persons, above all in Serbia and Montenegro, who advocate democratic and humanitarian values and oppose the belligerent policies of the Milosevic regime; believes that a central role can be played by the independent media;

6. Is alarmed at the powerlessness of the UNPROFOR forces and calls for a redefinition, as a matter of urgency, of the role and remit of UN forces;

7. Supports, in this connection, the importance of the public hearing organized by the European Parliament on the military aspects of the conflict;

8. Considers it necessary and just for Member States to cooperate with the lawful government of Bosnia-Herzegovina to help that government to defend its rights which are guaranteed through its status as a member of the United Nations;

9. Welcomes the belated decision of the UN Security Council of 16 November 1992 to strengthen the embargo against Serbia and Montenegro and calls on the Member States to respect it in full and cooperate in imposing it, and insists on the need to deploy UN military observers in the countries bordering Serbia and Montenegro to ensure the effective application of the embargo;

With regard to Kosovo:

10. Reiterates its condemnation of the suppression by the Serbian authorities of the institutions of the autonomous region of Kosovo, including the parliament;

11. Strongly condemns the wholesale purge of Albanians from the police, the courts and all social structures, and calls for intervention on the part of the international community to prevent a repetition in Kosovo of the policy of ethnic cleansing;

12. Calls for international observers to be sent to Kosovo forthwith with the task of reporting the violation of human and ethnic rights on a permanent basis to the authorities concerned and international public opinion;

13. Calls on the Serbian authorities to stop all violations of human and ethnic rights and to take action to guarantee freedom of the press, including the Albanian language press, and to ensure that health services in Kosovo can operate normally and that education can be provided unimpeded at primary, secondary and tertiary levels; calls in particular for the Serbian Government to allow the newspaper 'Bujku' to continue publication to permit information in Albanian in Kosovo;

14. Condemns the acts of violence committed against civilians in Pristina involving the 'Yugoslav' army and Serb forces responsible to the Serbian authorities;

With regard to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:

15. Is afraid that the armed conflict will soon spread to the territory of this former republic of Yugoslavia;

16. Underlines that the authorities of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia must respect all the preconditions which have been decided by the European Council for possible diplomatic recognition of that region and calls on the European Council to take all the necessary initiatives to end the deadlock;

17. Welcomes the initiative taken by the Greek Government to guarantee the frontiers of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia and notes with satisfaction that the proposal was endorsed and confirmed by all neighbouring countries;

18. Urges the Council and the international community to take all necessary measures, for instance deployment of UNPROFOR troops and EC monitors at the borders and inside the territory of this republic, to guarantee its stability, integrity and all the rights of the minorities of this region;

19. Calls on the Commission to resubmit to the Council a proposal for emergency humanitarian aid to the people of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, and calls on the Council to adopt this proposal;

20. Calls for permanent monitoring by the EC and the UN of the position of the minorities in the Balkan states;

21. Condemns all misinformation confusing and destabilizing the already precarious political situation in the Balkan region;

22. Calls on all the republics of the former Yugoslavia to take effective action to guarantee respect for human rights, regardless of ethnic or linguistic affiliation, and political and cultural equality;

23. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, European Political Cooperation and the authorities of the parties involved in the conflict.