NATO's Objectives In Kosovo
NATO's objectives
NATO's objectives in relation to the conflict in Kosovo were set out in the Statement issued at the Extraordinary Meeting of the North Atlantic Council held at NATO on 12 April 1999 and were reaffirmed by Heads of State and Government in Washington on 23 April 1999:
a verifiable stop to all military action and the immediate ending of violence and repression;
the withdrawal from Kosovo of the military, police and paramilitary forces;
the stationing in Kosovo of an international military presence;
the unconditional and safe return of all refugees and displaced persons and unhindered access to them by humanitarian aid organisations;
the establishment of a political framework agreement for Kosovo on the basis of the Rambouillet Accords, in conformity with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
Throughout the conflict, the achievement of these objectives, accompanied by measures to ensure their full implementation, has been regarded by the Alliance as the prerequisite for bringing to an end the violence and human suffering in Kosovo.