“Without a clear conclusion from the Council of Europe on what happened in Kosovo in the direct aftermath of the armed conflict and before the international forces gained control of the area, it will be very difficult to establish reconciliation between the Albanian and Serbian communities of Kosovo,” commented ELDR President Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck MEP on the discussion in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe of the Marty report on the inhumane treatment of persons and illegal trafficking of human organs in Kosovo. She continued: “Punishment of all crimes which happened in those days, by full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague is a pre-requisite. At the same time, EULEX should get the backing to play its important role in combating organised crime.”

“All countries of the Western Balkans aspire to EU membership. That aspiration will only materialise if human rights are protected, the rule of law is respected and reconciliation is continued to be pursued,” concluded Mrs Neyts.

Note from the editor: European Liberal Democrats time and again have supported the recognition of Kosovo as an independent, multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. In addition, we have urged the EU institutions and the Council of Europe to consider the European perspective and process of integration of Kosovo and its Western Balkan neighbours into the EU during the next round of European enlargement. At the same time, we support the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) as the court of law dealing with war crimes that took place during the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990’s.

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