France: German FM: Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister visit скачать в хорошем качестве

France: German FM: Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister visit

(9 Mar 2001) German/Nat The foreign ministers of France and Germany have called for stability in Macedonia as violent flare-ups along its border with Yugoslavia threaten to spark a new Balkan conflict. French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine and his German counterpart, Joschka Fischer, issued a joint statement condemning "extremist" violence in the region and a commitment to the Macedonian government in Skopje. Macedonian troops on Thursday drove ethnic Albanian rebels from their stronghold along the border with the southern Yugoslav region of Kosovo. Although the insurgents have not detailed their goals, it is assumed they are fighting for self-rule in areas near Kosovo with large ethnic Albanian populations. "France and Germany condemn the violent actions of extremists on the northern border of Macedonia," Fischer and Vedrine said in a joint statement issued on Thursday after a meeting in Paris. "The integrity of Macedonia must be respected." NATO peacekeepers are in the region to prevent the escalation of a conflict in Kosovo. Macedonia has an ethnic Albanian community that makes up about one-quarter of its 2 (M) million people. At least 90 percent of Kosovo inhabitants are ethnic Albanians. The two ministers also discussed U-S national missile defense plans and European Union enlargement. SOUNDBITE: (German) "We are confronted with an historical project, the enlargement of Europe. We must overcome a large number of difficulties in the course of this process and we are happy to notice the similarity of our (France and Germany's) points of views. This is particularly important considering the significance of the process and the difficulties to be surmounted." SUPER CAPTION: Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister SOUNDBITE: (German) "We can't allow another (Balkan) confrontation to break out. We will do our utmost to have peaceful solutions and negotiations. We can't allow any new violence in this region, it is our duty, as well as that of NATO, K-FOR and the United Nations, to co-ordinate our efforts to help with the stabilisation of the region." SUPER CAPTION: Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...