Appeared in "24 Chasa" Sofia, 8 July 1999

Opinion / Editorial by the NATO Secretary General Over the past few months, the Kosovo crisis has tested the international community. We have all been faced with a challenge -- to uphold our principles and our values. Bulgaria has helped us to do so -- and I have come to Sofia to say thank you for being such a good Partner, at a time when your partnership and cooperation were more important than ever. The crisis in Kosovo was perhaps the greatest challenge the international community has faced since the end of the Cold War. That our values have prevailed is proof of the strength of the new Europe we -- Allies and Partners -- are building together. "Ethnic cleansing", mass deportations and executions, and systematic abuse of human rights have no place in today's Europe. That is why, after all attempts at diplomacy In Kosovo failed, NATO began its air campaign -- because our values have no meaning unless we are willing to uphold them. In Kosovo, the values of the international community have prevailed. The air campaign against Yugoslav security forces was successful. Peace and security are being restored, and the international community is working as fast as possible to create the conditions in which all its citizens - whatever their ethnic background - can live and prosper together. The Alliance continues to play a central and essential role, through its leadership of the Kosovo Implementation Force (KFOR), the multinational military force authorised by UN Security Council Resolution 1244 to oversee and enforce peace and security in Kosovo. Let me state once again -- this campaign was not directed against the Serbian people. It was directed against the Yugoslav Government and security forces which had been pursuing their brutal acts of "ethnic cleansing". NATO's policy has always been to work for a Kosovo in which all ethnic groups are allowed to live in peace and security. KFOR will now establish a secure environment for all returning refugees and internally displaced persons - Albanian and Serb alike. It will also provide the general conditions of security to allow the UN, the OSCE, the EU and other international organisations and agencies to carry out the vital tasks of reconstruction, humanitarian assistance and re-establishment of law and order. The very successful cooperation among institutions that has been at the heart of the international effort in Bosnia should serve as a model for our cooperation in Kosovo. Of course, the Alliance is not alone in this international effort. NATO's Partners in South Eastern Europe have, from the beginning, played a vital role in supporting the international efforts to bring the crisis to an end. We are grateful for such staunch support. Bulgaria has consistently demonstrated that it is ready and willing to contribute to international security. Bulgaria was one of the first countries to join the Alliance's Partnership for Peace, and has enjoyed a robust programme of cooperation with NATO since 1994. In Bosnia, Bulgaria has contributed actively to the work of the NATO-led Implementation and Stabilisation Forces in this country. And Bulgaria is showing dedicated efforts, which the Alliance has recognised, in preparing for possible future NATO membership. This determination and clear resolve of the Bulgarian people, Parliament and government have come to the fore during the Kosovo crisis. We recognise how challenging this crisis has been for Bulgaria, and the other countries of the region -- and we recognise the many ways in which you have met this challenge. You provided essential political solidarity and support to NATO during this campaign, due in no small part to the efforts of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, and we are grateful for it. You also provided important practical support. For example, by making your air space available to NATO pilots, Bulgaria helped the Allied air campaign to meet our common objectives. And now, with KFOR deploying quickly into Kosovo, Bulgaria is making a further contribution by opening its air space and general access routes for the international forces as well as by providing troops. Put simply, over the past few difficult months, Bulgaria has made a strong contribution to bringing this crisis to an end. We are aware that this conflict has resulted in real economic difficulties in Bulgaria, and the entire region. The international community, including NATO, is determined to help repair the damage caused by the conflict, and assist in the economic reconstruction of the entire region. This project of economic reconstruction is part of our larger vision for the future of South Eastern Europe. A future in which this region ceases to be an area of instability and conflict; a future in which this region enjoys stability and prosperity - at peace with itself and the rest of Europe. A future in which Serbia embraces the values that the rest of Europe shares - democracy, respect for human rights - and rejoins the European family. We need to approach the re-building of this region in a comprehensive way. All major political and economic institutions - the United Nations, the European Union, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UNICEF, the World Bank, the OSCE - as well as non-governmental organisations and nations must play a part in this effort. NATO will contribute to this process. To help build longer-term stability in the region, Allied leaders created a consultative forum on security matters with nations neighbouring Yugoslavia. Through the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, we are promoting co-operation in South Eastern Europe. Through the Partnership for Peace, we can enhance security co-operation programmes and exercises for Partners in the region. And we will continue to support the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, recently launched by the European Union. This Stability Pact will coordinate and deepen the investment the entire international community is making to build lasting, self-sustaining peace and prosperity in the Balkans. NATO is also making another long-term investment in European stability - through its ongoing enlargement process. The Washington Summit this April confirmed our commitment to NATO's "open door". It also recognized Bulgaria as a serious membership aspirant. But it did more than that. It added another element that will reinforce our vision of increased cooperation and partnership: the Membership Action Plan. Through this program, NATO will give advice, assistance and practical support to countries aspiring to NATO membership in future. The relationship between Allies and membership aspirants will become more "interactive", and we will work proactively with you to help you come closer to the Alliance. Bulgaria's commitment to integration in Euro-Atlantic institutions is a very welcome development. In recent years, Bulgaria has shown that it will be part of this process - through internal reforms, through efforts to build regional ties, and through deepening cooperation with the rest of the Euro-Atlantic community. Your military contribution to the peace implementation force now going into Kosovo only enhances that reputation. Your achievements prove that, in today's Europe, geography is no longer destiny. It is now inevitable that the countries of this region will continue to draw even closer to each other, and to the rest of the Euro-Atlantic area. This is a development that can truly give us hope and confidence as we enter the 21st century together.