Dispatch of Election Observers for Kosovo Assembly Elections

October 15, 2004

1. The Government of Japan has decided to dispatch two election observers who will participate as members of the Council of Europe election observation mission for the Kosovo Assembly elections to be held on October 23 (Sat).
   
   
2. The forthcoming elections are the second elections after 2001 to be implemented in Kosovo which has been under the UN interim governance since the end of the conflict and are regarded as an important process toward building a "democratic and multi-ethnic society in Kosovo".
   
   
3. The Council of Europe will observe the elections, and many election observers are expected to be dispatched from major countries and groups including the US and the EU. Taking into account the significance of the coming elections, the Government of Japan has also decided to dispatch election observers as part of its contributions for the peace and stability of the Southeast European region.