The Chairman -in-Office of the OSCE, Foreign Minister Knut Vollebæk, with last appeal to President Milosevic

Oslo, 24 March 1999 - The Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Foreign Minister Knut Vollebæk of Norway strongly urges Yugoslav Authorities to seize the opportunity to find a peaceful solution to the Kosovo conflict. “This is absolutely necessary to prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Kosovo”, says Foreign Minister Vollebæk

In a telephone conversation today the CiO appealed to President Slobodan Milosevic to accept the Rambouillet Agreement and to put an immediate end to the excessive use of force by Yugoslav and Serbian forces in Kosovo. President Milosevic, however, showed no willingness to back down.

The OSCE stands ready to assist in implementing the Rambouillet Accord. The OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission, which for security reasons temporarily has been evacuated to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, will be prepared to start this work at very short notice.

Yugoslav authorities must look to the future of their country and the well being of its citizens. “They must now give peace a chance”, says the Chairman-in-Office.