</<P align="left">Bodo Hombach, Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact, at Press Conference of Investor’s Mission to FR Yugoslavia, Belgrade 9 February 2001

No less than 3 Delegations were in Belgrade at the same time. The EU-Troika, an EU-Parliamentary Delegation and the Stability Pact’s Investor Mission. I am glad to be able to conclude that our very important Mission of Foreign Investors was just as successful as the other delegations. This is a good sign. Normality is returning to Yugoslavia.

Still, I would like to clarify one point regarding the co-operation of FR Yugoslavia with ICTY. In my talks with the Government, I was promised that the needed legal adjustments for full co-operation with ICTY have been initiated by the new Government. I understand that this takes some time. I therefore see no reason to interrupt economic aid for the time being. However, I expect that concrete steps are taken in a speedy fashion by the FRY authorities.

In October last year, we promised to help to bring investment to FR Yugoslavia. Yesterday and today we had a Investor Conference with 60 top level participants from all over the world, and we succeeded to bring them in contact with 200 local business people, but also to introduce them to the Yugoslav and Serbian Authorities. - This is the beginning of economic takeoff.

Government aid can only be an initial spark. Private investment and private activities is needed to become the driving force for sustainable economic development. This is why the Stability Pact’s Investor’s Conference of the last 2 days is so important. - Private investment is the engine of the economy, not government money.

In my talks with the Government, we were in full agreement that organised crime must be combated. I was very pleased to learn that FR Yugoslavia wants to be a barrier against trafficking drugs, weapons or in human beings. For this, Yugoslavia needs assistance. The Pact will help to find it. - Protecting FR Yugoslavia’s borders is protecting European Union borders!

We agreed that Yugoslavia’s integration in all the structures of the Stability Pact is making good progress. A national co-ordinator has been nominated and contact persons for the various working tables and task forces of the pact are about to be nominated. The Pact is determined to have Yugoslavia become a dynamic and active player in its structures.

I commended the Federal and Serbian Governments for their politics of moderation and even-handedness with respect to the problems and unsolved issues in South Serbia, in Kosovo and Montenegro. This moderation is noticed around the world as a sign for the new era of dialogue. - There is no alternative to dialogue in an open and democratic society.

I am also grateful for the readiness expressed by the Government of Albania, on the occasion of my visit 2 weeks ago, to help in this effort by calling upon the Albanian-speaking people in their neighbourhood to follow the path of dialogue and moderation.

We agreed that those issues and other regional aspects of co-operation will be further discussed at the upcoming South Eastern European Co-operation Process (SEECP) summit in Skopje on February 22 & 23.

One such topic of regional proportion, the return of refugees is high on the agenda of the Stability Pact during this year. I fully support the efforts for a co-ordinated approach on this in the Triangle of Zagreb, Sarajevo and Belgrade, thereby involving the countries of the region most affected by yet to be solved refugee problems. Let's turn the triangle of refugees in a triangle of returns.

I also got full support from the Federal and Serbian Governments to address the issues regarding the Danube River in the form of a comprehensive Danube Conference. In this Conference - hopefully to be held in the first half of this year - measures needed for the Danube region in terms of clearing of war damage, navigation & communication, economy and environment can be discussed and co-ordinated.

Let me conclude. My visit to Belgrade was in many respects very promising. We could set the private investment process in motion. We have made progress in further integrating FR Yugoslavia into the work and structures of the Stability Pact. And we have seen the determination of the Government to take a regional approach as a guiding principle of their politics.

The former unpredictability of FR Yugoslavia has been replaced by new trust and confidence.