UNMIK/PR/1407
PRISTINA - SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen this morning gave an address at the occasion of the KFOR Change of Command ceremony. Following is the text of his address:
Honoured Guests, Ministers, General Jones, Admiral Ulrich, outgoing COMKFOR, incoming COMKFOR, President of the Assembly, Generals, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen
After 12 months of close co-operation my colleague – and I am proud to say my close friend – General Yves de Kermabon is leaving. Yves, you and I both arrived under difficult circumstances. Both our organisations – United Nations, NATO/KFOR - were reeling from the shock of the March 2004 riots. Both organisations had suffered setbacks to their internal morale and their external prestige.
How things change. The KFOR I see now is confident in itself and has restored confidence in Kosovo. Its presence has allowed UNMIK, working with the PISG, to take a grip on the political situation and to move it forward. The security situation is significantly improved since last year in spite of all the political jolts that have hit Kosovo this year – most recently only a few days ago. I thank NATO, the troop contributors to KFOR, your command structure and you, Yves, personally for this. I congratulate your country, France, for having produced such a superb soldier and human being.
The security environment in Kosovo is changing to take in “new” threats, of which organised crime and corruption are the most obvious. There are new actors facing these problems – with the PISG, including the KPS, increasingly in the front line. These threats are real, as they undermine public faith in democratic institutions and create the potential for the entrenchment of corrupt elites and the “capture” of institutions by narrow interest groups. This is a legacy we cannot afford to leave behind us.
But within this shifting political environment one constant stands out – and that is the role of NATO in the form of KFOR. Throughout the changes that will occur in the coming months, KFOR’s role – and, I’m glad to know, its strength and capabilities– will remain unchanged. And both that role and that strength will be vital, for we are aware that the next few months may be difficult.
We know that there are still those who believe that violence will force the way ahead. We also know that there are those who believe that provoking violence may stop the way ahead. They are both, of course, wrong. The overwhelming majority of the citizens of Kosovo are peace-loving people who want to see Kosovo develop into a democratic, multi-ethnic and tolerant society. Our responsibility in KFOR and UNMIK is to support all the communities of Kosovo in developing that society, and to prevent the enemies of democracy and dialogue from turning back the clock.
So, the visibility and vigour of KFOR will be needed in the months to come because the short-term threats have not gone away, and the political tests that face Kosovo could bring them to the fore. General Valotto, I look forward to continuing with you the close professional and personal relationship I have developed with General de Kermabon, and to us working together with the President, the Prime Minister, the Assembly, the political parties and the people ok Kosovo. The close relationship between our missions, and between us personally, will be needed now more than ever. You inherit a mission which is flexible, formidable and respected and I know that under your command it will continue to be so.
Yves, your command of KFOR has been marked by extraordinary energy and vision. You can look back on your time here as an unequivocal success.
It has been an honour and a pleasure for me to walk with you on the journey we have taken together. I mean this literally, not just metaphorically. Our joint visits, many of which I would not have undertaken without your company and persuasion, have been vital for me in getting a feel for Kosovo beyond the bounds of my own offices and those of the PISG. These visits are a tradition that I look forward very much to continuing with General Valotto.
You will be remembered for a long time for what you have achieved in Kosovo. You will be missed personally by those who have been privileged enough to work with you. On a personal note I will miss our talks, our walks and, yes, our badminton matches as well. France may be a champion in rugby. As you know Denmark is the champion in badminton.
So, Yves, au revoir, bon voyage, and, on behalf of all of us, and of me personally, merci.