STATEMENT H.E. DR. R.M. MARTY M. NATALEGAWA SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATE ON RESOLUTIONS
At the outset, let me join others in welcoming His
Excellency Mr. Boris Tadic, President of Serbia, and in thanking him
for his important statement. We wish to also warmly acknowledge the
participation of the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
For Indonesia, they do share one overriding and fundamental quality, however. Namely, that for all these issues, dialogue and negotiations must be the preferred option for their resolution. Indonesia, therefore, regrets the failure to reach a solution on Kosovo through dialogue and negotiation, resulting in the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo. Such declaration has come despite the call by many Council members, including Indonesia, for a continuation of dialogue and negotiation. From the very outset, the Government of Indonesia supports all efforts to address the question of Final Status of Kosovo in a peaceful manner, through dialogue and negotiation. We maintain our strong belief that a mutually acceptable agreement emanating from this process will better guarantee peace and stability in the region. It also offers the best promise to prevent new tension or conflict in the Balkan region. Mr. President, We hear the view of those who contend that the status quo has become untenable. Indeed, we understand such view. Most importantly, the directly affected parties themselves appear to be mindful of this fact. The direct talks between Belgrade and Pristina were, after all, designed to address this situation. While yet to yield the desired result, we do not believe that all avenues for negotiated outcome have been exhausted. Commitment, good faith, and most of all patience are, after all, key prerequisites to successful negotiations. This, we speak from experience. It is difficult to comprehend the readiness to declare the talks as exhausted. We are reminded of other intractable issues before the Council where patience and perseverance in the pursuit of negotiated outcome is counseled. Dialogue, negotiation, reconciliation; not might; have alleviated us from the challenge of prolonged conflicts. Only through this avenue of peace, new tensions would
not occur in the Balkans, worse still, armed conflict. Mr. President, The potential implications of the forcible decision on Final Status becomes especially poignant when set against the principles as enshrined in the United Nations Charter and reaffirmed by international law, namely the cardinal principles of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of all Member-States of the United Nations. Those well-tested principles serve to guide interactions among states and nations in order to maintain a stable and peaceful international system. These paramount principles have to be consistently upheld by all Member-States. The Government of Indonesia will closely follow developments
on Kosovo. It shall carefully consider the full implications of the
declaration, imbued by the principles and realities earlier mentioned. Indonesia expresses its deepest hope that Kosovo’s declaration of independence would not cause new tension and open conflict. The tragic history of the Balkan region should provide the Council with the necessary insight to chart its course in a careful and measured manner. In shouldering its Charter-mandated responsibilities, the Council should at the minimum and as a matter of urgency, transmit a clear message to all the parties to exercise restraint and remain calm. The Council should also make it clear that it is continuing to be seized of the issue and will closely monitor development in the region. Not least, the Council must inform itself fully and build a common and shared understanding of how this latest development impact on the work and policy of the current and legal administrator of Kosovo, namely UNMIK. The Security Council should ensure that provisions of UN Charter and SC Resolution 1244 must be fully respected. Uncertainty and lack of clarity on this issue would
not be helpful. Indonesia always believes that the Council should be at the forefront of any issue pertaining to international peace and security as mandated by the Charter. Time after time, the Council has been able to react in a proportionate and careful manner on various global issues. It has made a difference. This is one of the global issues that we, the Council
as a whole, simply don't have the comfort of time to remain indecisive,
and to be at the sideline. Thank you.
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