[File n°05] Balkans. The crisis in Kosovo resurfaces. NATO intervenes
(B2) The war in Croatia and then in Bosnia-Herzegovina made us forget the situation in Kosovo, which never really ended.
March 1997. The Albanian government collapses as a result of failed pyramid schemes. Arsenals are looted and these weapons are sent in large numbers to Kosovo, where the nascent KLA is waging a full-blown war of independence against the Serbian authorities.
June 1997Montenegro opposes the federal president of Yugoslavia being elected by universal suffrage.
The 16-18 June 1997The European Council meets in Amsterdam and reaches consensus on a new draft Treaty (during the night). It approves the transition to the third stage of the economic and monetary union, and paves the way for the launch of the enlargement process towards the countries of Eastern Europe.
July 1997. Luxembourg Presidency of the Union
Le July 22, 1997The WEU Extraordinary Council adopts a declaration on the role of WEU and its relations with the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance, to be annexed to the Final Act of the Treaty of Amsterdam.
The 23-24 July 1997The third international donor conference for the reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina is being held in Brussels.
♦ September 1997. New demonstrations by Albanian students repressed by Serbian police.
Le 13 December 1997The EU recommends opening accession negotiations with Slovenia and five other countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia and Cyprus)
The 22-23 december 1997The European Council meets in Luxembourg, takes the necessary decisions to launch the entire enlargement process and adopts a resolution on the coordination of economic policies.
January-June 1998. British Presidency of the European Union
♦ February-March 1998. Clashes in Drenica, a UCK stronghold, with the Serbian police (40 men reportedly participated) and the Yugoslav army, 000 dead.
♦ The March 6, 1998. Adem Jashari was killed by Serbian units in Srbica/Skenderai during an arrest attempt on 6 March 1998, along with 56 members of his family and friends. He was one of the founders and a leader of the KLA, an activist from the late 80s (when the province lost its autonomous status), and is, for the Albanian golden legend, a sort of Robin Hood.
♦ The March 9, 1998The international community threatens Belgrade with sanctions.
Le March 12, 1998Serbia refuses the intervention of a European mediator, the former head of the Spanish government, Felipe Gonzalez, mandated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Le March 12, 1998A European Conference brings together in London the 15 Member States and the countries that have formally requested membership of the European Union.
Le March 22, 1998. Clandestine presidential and legislative elections organized by the Kosovo Albanians. Ibrahim Rugova is acclaimed.
Le March 25, 1998The Commission adopts a report on the state of convergence and recommends the participation of 11 Member States in the euro by 1 January 1999.
Le March 30, 1998. Ministerial meeting opening the process of accession to the European Union of the 10 candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus.
♦ Spring 1998. KLA offensive which takes control of a third of the territory.
Le March 31, 1998. UN arms embargo on Belgrade.
♦ The 24 April 1998In a referendum in which 73% of voters participated, 94% of Serbs approved Milosevic's rejection of foreign mediation.
Le 30 April 1998. Northern Ireland Peace Agreement.
Le 3 May 1998An extraordinary Council decides that 11 Member States meet the necessary conditions for the adoption of the single currency on 1 January 1999.
Le 9 May 1998The Contact Group (Russia, the United States, France, Great Britain, Germany and Italy) decides, with the exception of Russia, on an embargo on investments against Belgrade.
Le 9 May 1998. Victory of Milo Djukanovic's coalition in the legislative elections in Montenegro.
The 15-17 May 1998The G8 summit is held in Birmingham (United Kingdom).
Le 29 may 1998. Start of a major Serbian offensive in western Kosovo.
The 15-16 June 1998The European Council meets in Cardiff (United Kingdom).
July-December 1998. Austrian Presidency of the European Union
NB: this is the Austria's first presidency since its accession
♦ July-August 1998The Serbian offensive continues. By the end of August, Belgrade had retaken the main KLA strongholds, displacing around 300.000 civilians. By July, they controlled around 40% of Kosovo.
Le 1st September 1998Under American pressure, Belgrade offered the Kosovars an interim agreement lasting 3 to 5 years which would grant the province a certain degree of self-administration.
Le 13 September 1998. The French President's interview with Bill Clinton was largely devoted to Kosovo. The question of resuming consideration, at the UN Security Council, of a resolution authorizing the use of force is on the table.
Le 29 September 1998. Revelation of a massacre of around thirty Albanian civilians on the 26th and 27th, attributed to Serbian forces.
Le 5 October 1998. A report by the UN Secretary-General confirms that Serbian forces committed atrocities.
The 12-13 October 1998. NATO ultimatum ordering its military to act after a four-day deadline.
Le 13 October 1998. US envoy Richard Holbrooke reaches agreement with Milosevic on the deployment of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) verification mission to Kosovo. 2000 "verifiers" are to be on the ground by January 15, 1999.
The 24-25 October 1998. Informal meeting of heads of state or government in Pörtschach (Austria).
♦ The 27 October 1998NATO renounces use of force after Serbian forces withdraw.
Le 4 December 1998. Franco-British summit in Saint-Malo on a European defence policy. Read: Fifteen years ago ! The Franco-British summit of Saint Malo 1998
♦ The 7 December 1998A project for autonomy for Kosovo, drawn up by American mediator Christopher Hill, is rejected by the Serbs and the Albanians.
The 11-12 december 1998The European Council meets in Vienna (Austria).
Tuesday 22 December 1998. Crash of a British Lynx helicopter of the Army's 669 Squadron (4 Regiment Army Air Corps) in Bosnia-Herzegovina at 4:30 pm, just next to the Sfor camp at Gornji Vakuf, 40 miles west of Sarajevo. 2 dead, 1 critically injured taken to hospital.
♦ End of December 1998. Serbs launch offensive against KLA stronghold.
January-June 1999. German Presidency of the European Union
Le 1st January 1999. Official launch of the euro.
♦ The 8th January 1999The KLA took eight Serbian soldiers hostage, who were released five days later through OSCE mediation.
Le 12th January 1999Jacques Santer, President of the European Commission, requests the confidence of Parliament.
Le 15th January 1999. 45 Kosovar Albanians are massacred in Racak in unclear conditions. Western opinion is scandalized. This leads to the opening of negotiations in Rambouillet.
Le 20th January 1999NATO strengthens its military presence in the Adriatic.
Le 30th January 1999NATO authorizes its Secretary General, Javier Solana, to launch air strikes if necessary.
Du February 6 to 23, 1999. The Contact Group brings together Serbs and Kosovar Albanians in Rambouillet, near Paris, to negotiate an interim agreement on substantial autonomy. Negotiations fail. The KLA refuses to accept the proposed autonomy for the province. And the Serbs reject the deployment of NATO troops in the province.
♦ The 15-19 March 1999. Resumption of negotiations in Paris and Rambouillet. The Kosovars sign the agreement. The Serbs reject it.
Le March 16, 1999. Collective resignation of the European Commission, chaired by Luxembourger Jacques Santer, following a damning report denouncing its "heavy responsibility" in fraud cases.
♦ The March 20, 1999The 1400 OSCE verifiers and NGOs present in Kosovo leave the province.
Le March 23, 1999NATO Secretary General Javier Solana orders aerial bombardments against Yugoslavia.
♦ The March 24, 1999. NATO air strikes begin, without prior authorization from the UN Security Council. General Wesley Clark directs operations from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe (SHAPE) in Mons. The bombings last 78 days.
These strikes lasted for more than 70 days but seemed to lead to a stalemate until an agreement was reached on June 3 between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and special envoys from the European Union and Russia.
The 24-25 March 1999An extraordinary European Council meets in Berlin. It asks Mr Prodi to accept the presidency of the next European Commission. It adopts two declarations on Kosovo, as well as declarations on the Middle East peace process and on enlargement.
♦ The March 28, 1999. The Atlantic Council launches Phase Two of Operation Resolute Force, renamed Allied Force. In Belgrade, more than 10.000 people attend an anti-NATO rock concert.
March-April 1999. Brutal repression by Serbian forces and paramilitaries in Kosovo. The atrocities committed lead to the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Albanians (around 800.000) to neighbouring Macedonia and Albania.
Le 2 April 1999NATO offers assistance to UNHCR in setting up refugee camps.
♦ The 4 April 1999NATO is expanding its targets and is now targeting civilian infrastructure in addition to military objectives.
Le 6 April 1999NATO strikes a residential area in the town of Aleksinac, the first in a series of blunders that includes the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade on May 7.
Le 7 April 1999Germany reveals the existence of a Yugoslav plan to expel the Albanian population of Kosovo, initiated in November 1998 under the code name "Horseshoe".
♦ The 14 April 1999. Operation Allied Shelter begins. 7000 NATO troops are mobilized to organize aid for Kosovo refugees in Albania. Former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin is appointed "special representative" for Yugoslavia by Boris Yeltsin.
Le 25 April 1999. Former Serbian opposition figure and Deputy Prime Minister Vuk Draskovic denounces the regime's official propaganda and calls for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force in Kosovo. He is dismissed from his post on April 24.
Le 23 April 1999The Council adopts a common position and a regulation on an embargo on the sale and supply of oil and certain oil products to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Le 26 April 1999The Council adopts a joint action on supporting the reception and repatriation of refugees, displaced persons and asylum seekers, including those who have fled Kosovo.
Le 1er May 1999The Treaty of Amsterdam comes into force.
Le 5 May 1999Ibrahim Rugova, authorized to leave Yugoslavia where he had been held since the start of the strikes, arrives in Rome.
Le 7 May 1999. Carl Bildt, former Swedish Prime Minister, is appointed UN envoy to the Balkans.
Le 10 May 1999. According to the UNHCR, half of the Albanian population, or 900.000 people, are now refugees. Slobodan Milosevic announces the beginning of a withdrawal of Serbian forces. NATO considers this announcement insufficient to stop the bombings.
Le 12 May 1999. Viktor Chernomyrdin meets with Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, who will act as mediator between the West and Yugoslavia. Beginning of intense diplomatic activity.
Le 16 May 1999. Demonstrations by families of Serbian soldiers begin in several cities in Yugoslavia to prevent the departure of soldiers mobilized in Kosovo.
Le 24 May 1999The head of a UN fact-finding mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who has just spent three days in Kosovo, says he has seen "enough evidence" of ethnic cleansing.
Le 27 May 1999. Louise Arbour, prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), makes public the indictment of Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Kosovo.
Le 28 May 1999The Yugoslav Presidency announces for the first time that it subscribes to the general principles of the G8, which include NATO conditions for stopping the bombing. Bodo Hombach, Minister of State in the German Chancellery, is appointed coordinator of the Stability Pact for the Balkans by the heads of state and government of the European Union.
Le June 3, 1999Following mediation by the European Union's special envoy, Finnish Martti Ahtisaari, and former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, Yugoslavia accepted the peace plan proposed by NATO and Russia.
The 3-4 June 1999. The European Council meets in Cologne, Germany. It adopts the first common strategy of the European Union, which concerns Russia, as well as declarations on Kosovo and on the strengthening of the common foreign and security policy (read: The 1999 Cologne European summit defines a political ambition for the ESDP). He appoints Javier Solana Madariaga as High Representative for the CFSP.
♦ The June 9, 1999Belgrade signs the peace agreement in Kumanovo (Macedonia), a "military and technical" agreement on the withdrawal of Serbian forces from Kosovo, which paves the way for the entry of the NATO-led peace force, KFor, into the province.
♦ The June 10, 1999NATO announces halt to airstrikes.
— The UN Security Council adopts resolution 1244, which decides on the deployment of an international civil and security presence in Kosovo.
— The United Nations mission, UNMIK, will establish "an interim administration within which the people of Kosovo can enjoy substantial autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Le June 12, 1999. Start of deployment in Kosovo of the NATO-led peace force, KFOR. Withdrawal of 41 Yugoslav soldiers and police. Taking advantage of the vacuum of authority, the KLA attempts to impose its political power.
The 18-20 June 1999. The G8 annual summit is held in Cologne (Germany). The Heads of State or Government welcome the adoption of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, and reaffirm their support for the international civilian presence and the international security presence in Kosovo.
Le June 21, 1999. The European Union - United States summit is held in Bonn, Germany. The EU and the US commit, in a joint declaration, to strengthening their partnership in the framework of the new transatlantic agenda and, in particular, to working together to prevent and resolve international crises. They stress the importance of the gradual development of a common European security and defence policy. They also agree to set up an early warning system to enable both parties to identify early warning signs of potential conflicts in time to defuse them, thereby avoiding damaging trade conflicts. An important part of the work also concerns Kosovo and South-Eastern Europe. The parties are looking in particular at how best to use their cooperation to facilitate the reconstruction of the region, and agree that the Commission will coordinate donor action with the World Bank.
July-December 1999. Finnish Presidency of the European Union
July 1999. Summit in Sarajevo on the 30th, within the framework of the Stability Pact for the Balkans, with the participation of Bill Clinton, the Russian Prime Minister, European and Balkan heads of state, with the exception of Slobodan Milosevic.
Le July 19, 1999. A meeting of the foreign ministers of the Fifteen (+ the 13 candidate countries) is taking place in Brussels. The meeting focuses on the fight against transnational organised crime and the situation in the Western Balkans.
Le 15 September 1999The European Parliament votes to appoint the new Commission.
Le 11 October 1999. The General Affairs Council approves the principle of an "Energy for Democracy" program to supply fuel to the Serbian municipalities, led by the opposition, Nis and Pirot. Deliveries are provided by EuroPA (chosen by public procurement)
The 15-16 October 1999 and a European Council The Special Committee meets in Tampere, Finland. It agrees on a number of policy guidelines and priorities, in particular on the right to asylum, immigration, access to justice and the fight against crime. It takes decisions on the modalities for drawing up the draft Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
The 18-19 October 1999. A special session of the WEU Council, devoted to the challenges facing Europe after the Cologne Council in matters of security and defence, is being held in Luxembourg.
Le 22 October 1999 and a European Union - Russia summit is held in Helsinki, Finland. The conflict in Chechnya takes an important place in the discussions.
November 1999The UNHCR estimates that nearly 240.000 Serbs and non-Albanians have fled Kosovo since the end of the war.
Le 13th November 1999. Michael Graham, Head of the EC Delegation to Serbia, signs an agreement with officials of the opposition-led Serbian municipalities of Nis and Pirot to secure the "Energy for Democracy" programme to supply fuel.
Le 24th November 1999. The first fuel delivery convoy, under the "Energy for Democracy" program, is to go to the opposition-run municipalities of Nis and Pirot. (Chris Patten is then Commissioner for External Relations)
Le 9 December 1999The European Commission has decided on a programme of Community assistance to the stabilisation and association process in the Western Balkans (CARA Programme).
The 10-11 december 1999. The European Council is held in Helsinki, Finland. It adopts conclusions on security and defence (ESDP), providing for the creation of a force of up to 60.000 men. Read: At the Helsinki Summit 1999, an ambitious military global objective for the EU
Le 12 December 1999. Sinking of the Erika. Single-hulled 25-year-old oil tanker, flying the Maltese flag and chartered by TOTAL-FINA, breaks in two 40 miles south of the tip of Brittany)
Le 17 December 1999. A European Union-United States summit is held in Washington. The two sides adopt joint declarations on South-Eastern Europe, Chechnya, the Northern Dimension of Europe, small arms and the World Trade Organization.
End 1999, more than 820 Kosovar Albanians return home (including some of those who had fled before March 000 (Source HCR Autrement 24 / French Documentation)
January-June 2000. Portuguese Presidency of the European Union
Le 24th January 2000The General Affairs Council, acting on a proposal from the Commission, decides to extend the "Energy for Democracy" programme to five other cities in Serbia.
♦ February 2000. Clashes break out in the town of Mitrovica (Kovoso) between the Albanian and Serbian communities. KOR troops are attacked by both groups. Increasing incidents in the Presevo Valley in southern Serbia, where 75 Albanians live. Appearance of an Albanian guerrilla movement, named UCPMB, after three towns in the area: Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac.
Le February 14st, 2000. Opening in Brussels of the intergovernmental conference on institutional reform.
Le February 15st, 2000The European Commission has decided to extend its "Energy for Democracy" programme to five opposition-held cities (Kragujec, Kraljevo, Novi Sad, Sombor and Subotica).
Le 23-24 March 2000. A special European Council meets in Lisbon, Portugal, to define a new Union strategy aimed at strengthening employment, economic reform and social cohesion in a knowledge-based economy.
The 18-19 April 2000The ninth meeting between the President of the European Parliament and the Speakers of the Parliaments of the candidate countries to the European Union is taking place in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Le 25 April 2000. End of the "Energy for Democracy" program. During the five months of the operation, a total quantity of 17 tons was supplied (about 513 trucks, a line of 770 km), representing 10% of the total quantity requested by the municipalities. The overall budget allocated to the deliveries of domestic fuel oil amounted to approximately 99,54 million euros.
The 19-20 June 2000The European Council meets in Santa Maria da Feira (Portugal).
July-December 2000. French Presidency of the European Union
July 2000The Federal Parliament amends the Constitution to allow Slobodan Milosevic to run for re-election.
September 2000The Danish government decides to hold a referendum on joining the euro, created in 1999. 53,1% of voters vote against.
Le 18 September 2000. General Affairs Council. A few days before the elections in Serbia, the foreign ministers address a "message to the Serbian people".
♦ The 24 September 2000. In Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica, a candidate for the democratic opposition, won the first round of the Yugoslav presidential election with 48,2% of the vote against 40,2% for Milosevic. The electoral commission called a second round for October 8.
October 2000The opposition refuses the second round and calls for civil disobedience. Huge demonstrations lead, on the 5th, to the fall of Slobodan Milosevic.
Le 14 October 2000. European Summit in Biarritz (France). Vojislav Kostunica is the surprise guest of the summit.
Normalization of relations
Le 25 October 2000. A special summit on the South-Eastern European cooperation process is held in Skopje, FYROM.
♦ The 23-24 2000 November. European Union – Balkans Summit in Zagreb (Croatia)
The 9-11 december 2000. Nice Summit, proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and drafting of a new treaty.
♦ The June 13, 2008. Dismantling of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC), created in 1999, to create the Kosovo Security Force (KSP), under civilian control. Border control remains the responsibility of KFOR.
This case is closed.