Thank you, Mister Chairman.

I would like to congratulate Daan Everts, Steve Bennett and the entire staff of the Kosovo police school for what everyone in- and outside of OSCE recognizes is a signal achievement: the successful graduation of the first class of Kosovo Police Service recruits. This is a credit to our entire organization, from the CiO, who led us to take on this task, to the Member States which contributed the people who made this event possible, to the OSCE Secretariat which selected them, got them there, and supported them, and to the staff and instructors themselves who found ways to overcome huge difficulties and managed to get the job done.

As we know, the graduation was marred by actions which highlighted ethnic differences, rather than emphasizing the multi-ethnic composition of the Kosovo police force. But we should not lose sight of what was accomplished: despite initial difficulties, a multiethnic class did graduate; a training school and curriculum were established, quickly and effectively; and the stage is now set for 173 indigenous police, who have been trained to bring law and order back to this troubled region.

Recent events in Kosovo -- including the clashes at Kosovska Mitrovica and the tragic death of the Bulgarian UNMiK employee in Pristina -- have once again shown us how serious the security situation is in Kosovo.

But the police school graduation is an example of what the OSCE can accomplish and how fast our organization can act when priorities are set. We must now act with the same speed and effectiveness in other areas: staffing the Mission, getting established in the field, and translating the OSCE's principles and mandate into effective action.