[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
[April 25, 1999]
[Pages 628-629]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Opening of North Atlantic Council Meeting With the 
Frontline States
April 25, 1999

    Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary General. We want to welcome the leaders of all the frontline 
states here and say that we are very grateful for what you have done. 
The people of Albania and Macedonia have welcomed almost half a million 
refugees to their countries, often, literally, into their homes. You 
have shared what you have, though the strains are immense. NATO is 
working to relieve your burden with the United Nations by building 
camps, providing supplies, helping to bring more refugees to other 
countries until they can return to Kosovo. We must do more, intensifying 
our relief operations, taking our share of refugees.
    The nations of the region have risked and even faced armed 
confrontation with Serbia, by facilitating and supporting our campaign 
to end the bloodshed in Kosovo. Yesterday--or Friday, NATO made its 
position very clear. We said, unambiguously, if Belgrade challenges its 
neighbors as a result of the presence of NATO, we will respond.
    The nations of the region have faced enormous economic dislocation 
and losses. We are committed to working with you and with multilateral 
institutions to ease your emergency needs and help you with your debts. 
You want a better future for your nations and your region, and there, as 
well, we are committed to help.
    Many of us have tried to lay out a vision for the region, a positive 
alternative to the violence and ethnic hatred, a vision of people and 
nations working together, bridging old divides, forging a common future 
of peace, freedom, and prosperity. How do we get there?
    First of all, we must prevail in Kosovo. A just end to the conflict 
is essential to putting the entire region on the path to stability. 
Second, we must strengthen our efforts to support economic development 
and deeper democracy, ethnic and religious tolerance, and regional 
integration in southeastern Europe. We must build on the many positive 
ways in which the nations of the region, often with our support, already 
are bringing change at home, in cooperation across borders.
    In that regard, I want to especially commend Slovenia's strong 
efforts in recent years to reach out to its neighbors. We will work 
toward the day when all the people of the region, including

[[Page 629]]

the Serbs now suffering under reckless tyranny, enjoy freedom and live 
together.
    This will require a commitment by nations of the region to continue 
political and economic reforms. And I particularly respect the efforts 
of Bulgaria and Romania in this regard, to stick with their programs 
under very difficult circumstances.
    It will require that we sustain our engagement. I welcome the 
suggestion of the German-EU Presidency to hold a conference in Bonn next 
month to advance these common efforts. I hope our finance ministers, 
when they meet here next week with international financial institutions, 
will explore imaginative and aggressive ways for us to help.
    Finally, we must continue to strengthen the security bonds between 
your countries and NATO. Five of the nations here are NATO partners. 
Yesterday NATO and its partners agreed to deepen our security 
engagement. We will continue to work with Bosnia and Croatia on 
implementation of the Dayton accords, looking toward eventual 
partnership. And yesterday NATO adopted a robust membership action plan 
to help aspiring nations strengthen their candidacy so they can enter 
NATO. New members will bolster our Alliance and Europe's security.
    In all the countries present here today, leaders and citizens are 
working to realize a vision just the opposite of Mr. 
Milosevic's, reaching across the divides 
to pursue shared dreams of a better life. All of them are on the right 
road, and we must travel it with them to ensure that they succeed.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 9:16 a.m. at the Mellon 
Auditorium. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary General Javier 
Solana of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and President Slobodan 
Milosevic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). 
The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also 
included the remarks of Secretary General Solana.