The United States thanks the Chair and Ambassador Fuller for their respective reports on the situation in Kosovo and on yesterday’s meeting of the Contact Group.

There have been both positive and negative developments in Kosovo over the past few days.

On the Kosovar Albanian side, we are heartened by the announcement of the names on their negotiating team. We take this as a signal that the Kosovar side is prepared to enter into real political dialogue without precondition.

We also strongly support the progress made to date in implementing the Education Accords. We hope that the shared use of educational facilities will serve as a confidence building measure in the region.

Unfortunately, there has otherwise been little progress by Belgrade.

We are concerned by reports that six more bodies have been discovered in Kosovo.

It is as yet unclear who is responsible for these killings, or when they took place. But it is clear that these individuals died from gunshot wounds.

Further, there are unconfirmed reports of troop movements and shelling in and around Drenica, as well as Srbica.

We renew our call on Belgrade to expeditiously withdraw special police units from the region and discontinue actions against the civilian population of Kosovo.

We are further disappointed that President Milosevic has called for a referendum on the question of international mediation of Kosovo talks.

It is clear to all of us today, as it was clear in the Permanent Council decision on March 11, the London and Bonn Contact Group statements, and the UN Security Council Decision, that the situation in Kosovo simply cannot be resolved without the involvement of the international community.

President Milosevic's call for a referendum on this question is nothing but the latest tactic on the part of FRY Authorities to delay commencement of real dialogue with Kosovar Albanian authorities.

We reiterate our strong support for a new mission by CiO Representative Felipe Gonzalez, and urge Belgrade to accept such a mission, without condition.

We also renew our call for the immediate reinstatement of the OSCE Missions of Long Duration, without condition.

As we assess the compliance of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with OSCE, UN Security Council and Contact Group requirements, we must not be taken in by feints and partial measures.

We must all continue to pressure Belgrade for real compliance with these conditions. Experience has shown that only coordinated international pressure is effective bringing about real changes in Belgrade’s behavior.

It is also clear that President Milosevic can and will exploit any perceived differences among us.

We must send a single, clear message: the international community seeks a real and lasting resolution of the situation in Kosovo, and will not tolerate further bloodshed in the region.