EU/KOSOVO: The EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Mr Javier Solana, and the European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Mr Chris Patten, go to Kosovo tomorrow following last week's inter-racial violence there.
Amid concerns that Kosovo might once again plunge out of control, EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels yesterday said Kosovo's leaders and provisional governments should know "what is at stake is their credibility, the future of Kosovo and its European perspective".
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, who chaired the meeting, said the EU "called on all leaders, in particular the Kosovo Albanian leadership, to take responsibility for the situation and ensure that threats and violence end".
The death of two Albanian boys last week provoked rioting in which a further 26 people died.
"Protection of the rights of members of all communities is essential," said a declaration agreed by the ministers.
NATO has reinforced its troops in Kosovo.
The NATO secretary-general, Mr Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, was in Kosovo yesterday, where he met Kosovo leaders and the special representative of the secretary general of the UN in Kosovo, Mr Harri Holkeri.
Mr Solana will be invited to report back to ministers on his findings. On the eve of his trip, he will meet the Serbian Prime Minister, Mr Vojislav Kostunica, who is visiting Brussels today.
The foreign ministers' meeting continued the drafting of an EU declaration on combating terrorism, which is to be approved at a European summit later in the week. EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday under the chairmanship of the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
Mr Solana said yesterday that he hoped to name his choice of a counter-terrorism co-ordinator as early as Thursday.
There is speculation in Brussels that he will name Mr Klaas de Vries, a former Dutch interior minister, and the likelihood is increased by the early date.
The revised declaration also brings forward the date by which Mr Solana must present proposals for improving intelligence-sharing between member-states. The deadline of 180 days has been effectively halved, and he has been invited to make the proposals to the June European Council.
Mr Cowen said there had been few changes of substance to the draft agreed by justice and home affairs ministers on Friday.
However, the foreign ministers approved additional paragraphs which will make counter-terrorism measures a consideration in their dealings with non-EU countries. Trade, development and technical assistance could now be made conditional on the governments of those countries taking steps to counter-terrorism.
Foreign ministers also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. They stressed concern about the security situation there, applauded NATO's efforts to help provide the security necessary for elections, and said that, in the long-term, Afghan national security institutions would have to be reformed.
The foreign ministers also approved a declaration on Iran. This was designed to maintain pressure on the leadership in Teheran to co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency.