Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.

I would very briefly like to take note of Kosovo’s October 28 municipal elections.

We welcome and share the views expressed in the Chair’s October 29 statement and the EU Presidency’s October 30 declaration. We also concur with Dr. Kouchner’s characterization of the elections as a victory for moderation and maturity.

We are pleased by Mr. Rugova’s indications since the elections that he is dedicated to cooperation across party and ethnic lines. We are also pleased that other Kosovo political leaders, Albanians and Serbs alike, have agreed to respect the election results.

The important thing now is to see election results implemented and get the Assemblies up and running, and to move forward with the next phase of Security Council Resolution 1244, which is to establish Kosovo-wide institutions and prepare for general elections for them.

To those who argue that the lack of Kosovar Serb participation could call into question the election’s validity, we note that Kosovo Serbs and others have indicated that they will accept appointment to municipal bodies, so that they will be represented.

Kosovar Serbs had the full opportunity to register and participate in the election. We regret that most of them chose not to do so. We hope that all ethnic minorities will participate fully in future elections.

We look forward to hearing from Ambassador Everts next week, and to discussing at that time the election outcome and the Mission’s work in greater detail. Thank you.