Lloyd Axworthy

[Kosovo, April 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I do not see it that way. I really want to suggest to the hon. member that what is being applied, coming out of the NATO summit meetings, is the important unified position of keeping pressure applied to the Milosevic regime through the air campaign, through cutting off supplies to his military activities. At the same time it is important, as a clear connection to that, that we undertake negotiations and have the Russians become involved in seeking the solution.

I certainly can report to the hon. member discussions I have had this morning with some of the people who have already been there. It does not appear to be as big a problem for the Russians as it appears to be for the leader of the New Democratic Party.

[Kosovo, April 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I think the Prime Minister answered that question very succinctly this morning when he said the whole purpose of the embargo is to continue to apply the pressure that is necessary to bring the Milosevic regime to the table to begin to negotiate .

We will not go out of our way to provide any provocation. It will be done within sort of the legal rules. We have asked the planners at NATO to come up with the proposals that would incorporate those kinds of elements.

What we are doing is what I said yesterday, trying to get a balanced approach. We will continue the negotiation but continue the pressure at the same time.

[Kosovo, April 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I think the leader of the New Democratic Party put it properly this morning. The commitment made today to fulfil our commitment to ensure there is a peace implementation force is one of the best signs and indications that we want a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

[Kosovo, April 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, according to the information we have, no petroleum products have been exported from Canada since January 1998.

In this case Canada is clearly on line with what the embargo is presenting. We will make sure that if countries sign on to the embargo they will adhere to its requirements.

[Kosovo, April 27th, 1999]

To begin with, Mr. Speaker, I hope the one thing I can bring is the full endorsement of the House, representing all Canadians, to find a peaceful resolution. That is what I hope I can bring. I hope we can be assured of that matter, because we decided coming out of the Washington meetings that it was important to engage in a dialogue.

In particular, one thing we have very much in common with the Russian government at this point in time is that we both want to see an involvement of the United Nations Security Council as a major player in helping to secure a peaceful resolution. That is something we can identify with and work with the Russians on.

[Kosovo, April 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I am not quite sure what this no compromise position is that the hon. member talked about.

We have just come from a NATO summit where the basic outreach to the Russians was strongly endorsed by all the countries. We talked about the need to have a broader international force, not just a NATO force. We talked about the importance of developing major initiatives in the Balkan region to help in the reconstruction.

I do not think there is a no compromise position. What there is no compromise on is the fundamental principle of securing the safety and rights of the people of Kosovo.

[Kosovo, April 27th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, we hope there will be a peace agreement and we are working hard to try to achieve one. As I said in the House yesterday, there are a number of active discussions going on. There are a number of interventions taking place in Moscow.

Some indication has come out of Belgrade that certain political leaders there are of a mind to do it. We are actively engaged in trying to get a diplomatic process together to get agreement on the five points that have been raised, and particularly come to grips with the fundamental issue of having an international force in Kosovo to protect refugees. That is the key issue.

All I can say to the hon. Leader of the Opposition is that we are making every effort, along with many others, to try to bring that about.

[Kosovo, April 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think we have got down to actually designing the composition. What is important at the outset is to get initial agreement that there is a willingness to join forces to go to the United Nations with such a position that we can all support. I think that will require that again there be some accommodation worked out.

What we want to achieve at this point in time is to work with the secretary general who will be in Moscow about the same time to see how we can lend whatever influence we can, whatever good offices we can, to try to bring that about. We are not going there with some secret plan in our pocket but just the goodwill to get a resolution.

[Kosovo, April 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, there is a variety of plans out there. I do not think we need any new ones, particularly. I think what we have to get is agreement on the plans. We have to get some sort of agreement that a common position can be advanced at the security council and at the United Nations.

If we can use our good offices and whatever other kinds of dialogue we can help create along with other NATO partners that are doing the same thing, I think it may help to move the process forward.

However, right now it is very important that there be a very active direct exchange, and that is why the Prime Minister has asked me to take the mission on this week.

[Kosovo, April 26th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, if we go back to some of the discussions we had in the House last week, it is clear the intervention taken by the Russians in Belgrade last week resulted in statements about the necessity for an international force to be present in Kosovo.

The Prime Minister is very anxious that we follow up. At the same time the secretary general will be advancing the same purposes. We want to see if we can help that process, if we can as a security council member support the engagement the Russians might take, because if they are in support then it may be possible to get the security council to have a resolution. That would be a very major step forward.