Mr. Chairman,

We are very pleased to join in welcoming our neighbor, and friend, Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada Mr. Lloyd Axworthy, to the Permanent Council today.

We appreciate his thoughtful remarks across a range of issues. As good friends who face the world together, the United States and Canada agree on most issues and agree on how to disagree on a few.

We were pleased to hear the Foreign Minister's call to work quickly in Kosovo to end the victimization of vulnerable civilians. We, too, are encouraged by the momentum OSCE has generated as it moves rapidly to fulfill its share of the agreement. Would that our colleagues in New York could move as expeditiously. We welcome Canada's pledge of personnel and financial support in the Kosovo endeavor. And we welcome Canada’s announcement to augment its already generous support for humanitarian relief in Kosovo.

Mr. Chairman,

Mr. Axworthy has reminded us that only constant engagement and unceasing attention to the goals we set forth here every week can guarantee peace over the long run. As Kosovo and other troubled regions remind us daily, people must have confidence in their economic and political systems and they must have the tangible support of their neighbors to construct the institutions of peace. Peace is cheaper than war. But it is not free. Mr. Axworthy’s remarks remind us that we all have a stake in peace in Kosovo and that we must all pay our agreed share to advance the goals we support.

Finally, we want to emphasize to Mr. Axworthy how very much we appreciate our working relationship with the outstanding Canadian delegation here, and the long friendship between our two countries in which it is based.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.