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| PRIME MINISTER BLAIR ADDRESS | |
 June 10, 1999 
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U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair addresses the signing of the military agreement between NATO and Yugoslavia. |
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As you will now know, the Serb withdrawal from Kosovo is under way
and NATO has suspended its air campaign. Shortly, with the backing of
the UN, the entry of military forces into Kosovo, led by the British
Army, will begin. As soon as possible afterwards, the first refugees
will start their There was no yearning on the part of NATO to commence this military action. I feel no sense of triumph now, only the knowledge that our cause was just and has been rightly upheld. We tried hard to avoid conflict. For many months of patient negotiation, we strove hard for peace. But we had no serious negotiating partner in Milosevic. Instead he began the policy of ethnic cleansing. We are all familiar with this term. Do not let familiarity with it blind us to its hideousness. What it meant in reality for hundreds of thousands of innocent people in Kosovo was systematic murder and rape, brutality and barbarism on a scale our continent of Europe thought we had seen the last of, in the dark days of World War II. We were faced with a moral choice: to let this barbarism happen or
to stop it. We chose the right course. In doing so, we knew we could
not prevent death and destruction for many. But Milosevic now knows,
and the world now knows that we will not let racial genocide go on without
challenge. We will not see the values of civilisation sacrificed without
raising the hand of justice Nothing we say or do now can compensate for the loss of loved ones killed in this conflict. But we can say they did not die in vain. War is never civilised. The innocent die as well as the guilty. But war can be necessary to uphold civilisation. This one was. This war was not fought for Albanians against Serbs. It was not fought for territory. Still less for the aggrandisement of NATO. It was fought for a fundamental principle necessary for humanity’s progress: that every human being regardless of race, religion or birth, has the inalienable right to live free from persecution. Milosevic has given his word that he will withdraw his forces. He has started this withdrawal. But the Balkans is littered with Milosevic’s broken promises. He should have no doubt NATO will remain vigilant to ensure that this time he complies with what he has agreed. I would like to pay tribute to those who worked with us. I want to pay tribute first and foremost to the courage and professionalism of our Armed Forces. It is because of them that we have managed to defeat the evil of ethnic cleansing and that the hundreds of thousands of refugees forced to flee their own country can start planning to return home. It is a testament to their skills that not one British serviceman or woman lost their lives in the NATO action. But this should not lead anyone to believe this was a risk-free operation.
It was not – and nor will it be in the future. There are real dangers
ahead. We can’t guarantee that there will be no loss They will enter a land, for instance, where hundreds of thousands of landmines have been scattered indiscriminately. They may face resistance from Serbs angry at their defeat. But I have every confidence in their ability – and that of our allies in this operation - to finish the task in front of them. I believe our forces face these dangers with the country united behind them. I want to thank our allies in the NATO alliance. Many commentators suggested that this alliance of 19 democracies could not hold together. President Milosevic was banking on this from Day One. Today, on Day 79, he knows he got it wrong. A great deal of the credit for this must go to Javier Solana for his
crucial role in co-ordinating the NATO operation, to the superb and
tireless job done by General Wesley Clark as Supreme Allied Commander
Europe and his deputy, General Rupert Smith, and by General Mike Jackson
in securing the detail of the Serb withdrawal and in ensuring our forces
are ready to replace I also want, as British Prime Minister, to thank Robin Cook, who has
worked so brilliantly to build and retain the international consensus
against Milosevic, to George Robertson for his I also want us in Europe to say special thanks to the President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, and to the American people. I have just spoken to Bill Clinton to thank him in person. As ever, he gave leadership and vision when it was needed most, steadfast in his support of what was right. As ever the American people showed their foresight and imagination in knowing that though this evil of ethnic cleansing was happening far from their shores, they had a duty to help defeat it. And let me take this opportunity today to send a message to the people
of Serbia. Our quarrel was never with you but with the regime that has
lied to you about the causes of this conflict, the Our quarrel is with Milosevic and the brutal dictatorship, which rules you. Today in Germany, very important discussions are taking place between
the Foreign Ministers of the G8 countries, EU member states, Turkey,
the Eastern European democracies, and most We have pledged to help them rebuild their economies. And we will. It will require real commitment and generosity. But it is more than an act of charity. We know it is essential for the future of all of us who inhabit our shared continent that we work together to build long-term peace and prosperity across Europe. But until Serbia embraces democracy, until Serbia has a Government, which wants to live with its neighbours in peace, Serbia will not be part of that modern Europe. You cannot expect democracies to prop up dictatorships. We want a modern democratic Serbia to be part of a modern democratic Europe. But the choice rests with Serbia. We intend to start building that new Europe in Kosovo as soon as the first members of KFOR arrive there. We have made a pledge to the refugees that they will go home to live in peace and security alongside their Serbian neighbours. We intend to deliver that pledge. And we want a Kosovo where all people, whether Albanian or Serb, have the same rights and live together in peace. As well as helping the Kosovar people rebuild their shattered lives and communities, our forces will gather evidence of war crimes, so that those responsible are brought to justice. We began this air campaign with reluctance but resolve. We end it with no sense of rejoicing. We cannot rest until the refugees are home. Then, truly, we will be able to say that Good has triumphed over evil Justice has overcome barbarism And the values of civilisation have prevailed.
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