15-16 March Foreign Affairs informal

EVENTS in Albania overshadowed the main items on the agenda of the two-day meeting. A Dutch presidency statement had to be put on iceovernight while ministersawaited confirmation of rumours that Albanian President Sali Berisha had resigned. When he had ascertained that the reports were false, Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Hans van Mierlo agreed to send a high-level mission of civil servants to Tirana the following day – alongside representatives from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Commission, Italy and Greece – to determine what steps the EU should take next. The question of military intervention hung over the meeting, with Germany and the UK firmly opposed and France broadly in favour. The Dutch presidency statement indicated a “readiness” to send civilian, police and military advisers, but did not specify how many. Ministers also decided to consult in New York on the need for a United Nations Security Council resolution. While ministers stressed the need for Albanians to accept personal responsibility for rebuilding their country, they expressed a willingness to resume economic and financial assistance once stability was restored. The Commission would provide humanitarian aid as soon as conditions were secure enough to assure its delivery. Further steps would be coordinated with the OSCE and the Council of Europe.