§ 30. Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the NATO countries concerning the future of Kosovo as an independent state after the end of the hostilities; and if he will make a statement. [83529]
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§ Mr. Tony LloydWe are in frequent contact with NATO counterparts about finding a peaceful solution to the Kosovo crisis on the basis of the G8 principles. We respect the territorial integrity of all countries in the region and it has never been part of our objectives to create new independent states.
The statement on Kosovo issued at the NATO Summit in Washington on 23 April called on President Milosevic to provide credible assurance of his willingness to work for a political framework agreement based on the Rambouillet Accords. But given what the Kosovo Albanians have suffered, we are now proposing a much stronger role for the international community in the civil administration of Kosovo.