The High Level Conference on Southeastern Europe, Tokyo

(15-16 May, 2000)

Chairman's Summary by
Dr. Tatsuo Arima, Representative of the Government of Japan

1. The High-Level Conference on Southeastern Europe was held in Tokyo on 15_16 May 2000. The participants were; 5 countries of Southeastern Europe (namely Bosina and Herzegovina, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Romania), the G8 and other countries who have contributed to stabilize and develop Southeastern Europe (namely Republic of Hungary, Republic of Slovenia, and Republic of Turkey), and related international organizations. Additionally, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia attended as observers (excluding the Japanese contingent, a total of 51 people from 27 countries). The conference was also attended by Japanese experts and academics from various fields (20 people). The Chair was grateful for the participation of Mr. Carl Bildt, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Balkans, and Mr. Bodo Hombach, the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe.

2. The purpose of the conference was to add momentum to the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, which was agreed upon at the Cologne summit last June and started in earnest at the Southeastern Europe Sarajevo Summit in July of last year. The aim of the pact is to establish and promote development in the region. The findings of this conference will be incorporated into the debate at the Kyushu Okinawa Summit which will be held in July, 2000. In January of this year, Mr. Yohei Kono, Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, in Paris, that he advocated next year becoming the start of a new "Decade of Japan-Europe Cooperation." From this new standpoint, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) co-sponsored the conference after together selecting specific fields and themes concerning the effort already being made by the international community in implementing the Stability Pact, that they considered needed to be reinforced or complemented. The conference participants then took up these themes and discussed them freely, drawing upon their own individual experiences and expertise.

3. Foreign Minister Kono, in his opening address to the conference as representative of the host country, alluded to the late Mr. Keizo Obuchi, former Prime Minister of Japan and his long-term interest in Southeastern Europe, and also referred to the initiative which had made it possible for this conference to take place. Furthermore, he stated that Japan through cooperation with Europe, has both the experience and the will to address the issues of stability and development in Southeastern Europe, including the difficult issue of ethnicity which lies at the heart of the region's difficulties. Minister Kono also emphasized that in order to make the world a safe and stable place in the 21st Century, it is necessary for the people of Southeastern Europe to cultivate, through multiculturalism, a harmonious political culture which protects human dignity and promotes harmony through diversity, and to nurture a society which focuses on people as individuals, not as members of a particular ethnic group. He said that this could be achieved through education on the benefits of peace and respect for other cultures. In this context, the continuing cooperation among the countries of the region and the international community will play a major role. Moreover, the Minister also pointed out that as globalization progresses, so the mutually dependent relationship between Japan and Europe deepens, and an increased level of Japan-Europe cooperation will be necessary on various regional challenges such as the conflicts in Kosovo and Bosnia in Europe, and East-Timor and KEDO in Asia.

4. Mr. Carl Bildt, United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for the Balkans, gave a keynote speech in which he explained how the challenges of the Balkans could best be addressed from a regional perspective. What was required, Mr. Bildt argued, was an effective entry strategy for the region's countries and territories into the structures of the European Union. Only by breaking the cycle of fears and expectations (which the absence of a clear regional vision tended to encourage) could long-term, self-sustaining stability be assured, Mr. Bildt said. Mr. Bodo Hombach, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe talked in his keynote speech about the present state of progress in implementing the Stability Pact. He said that he gave high regard to Japan's contribution to date, and hoped that this cooperative relationship would be reinforced. Furthermore, as an example of the "new ray of hope" in the region, he cited the case of the Second Danube bridge as one of the positive developments in the relationship between neighbouring countries. With respect to the pursuit of regional stability, he stressed the importance of addressing private enterprises and establishing a basis in law for business investment. Mr. Yasushi Akashi, President of the Japan Preventive Diplomacy Center, in his keynote speech, spoke about the issues of Southeastern Europe from the standpoint of the United Nations. He explained how the nature of the conflicts had changed since the Cold War, that internal conflict had increased, and that cooperation with regional organizations under Chapter 8 of the UN Charter had become indispensable. Furthermore, it was seen as vital for the countries of Southeastern Europe to have the political will to help themselves in coordination with a broad range of cooperation with non-regional governments and NGOs. Additionally, the securing of sufficient funds, the promotion of human rights education, and good governance are all priority issues in the agenda for achieving stability in Southeastern Europe.

5. In the first session entitled "Steps Towards the Promotion of a Harmonious Political Culture," it was debated that in order to establish a genuine lasting peace in Southeastern Europe while maintaining the identity of all ethnic groups of the region, a joint, pluralistic approach which would lead to a peace in which there was respect for different cultures and ethnic groups was necessary. If we consider the massacres and ethnic cleansing which has taken place over the past ten years, we see that territorial segregation based upon ethnicity is not a realistic solution to the problem. Instead, we must pursue reconciliation through promoting co-habitation between different ethnic groups. In order to do so, we must change the hearts and minds of the people of the region. In this respect, efforts by UNESCO in the restoration and protection of historical and cultural assets, and by UNICEF in child welfare and education, were described as being catalytic in bringing together opposing local communities and ethnic minorities in the region. These efforts were seen as effective in allowing a spirit of tolerance and a respect and understanding for different cultures and ethnic groups to take root in the societies of Southeastern Europe. It was also pointed out that diversity in Southeastern Europe cannot be generalized as being based just on ethnic or cultural differences. In fact, in many cases it is due to differences in religion and language. It was also pointed out that the depth to which democratic institutions could take root would be taken as the yardstick for measuring the progress made in promoting the political culture of peace.

6. The second session was entitled the "Steps to Redeem and Establish Human dignity." The restoration of a government administration which encompasses opposing local communities in peace-keeping and peace-building was discussed as being vitally important in Southeast Europe, including Kosovo. Furthermore, the importance of establishing and maintaining law and order, which includes the issues of employment, human rights, and the purging of corruption, was noted. The need to deploy police was discussed. As a concrete step in putting an end to the hatred and tension that exists between local communites of different ethinic and religious groups and to open new paths towards co_existence, the role of independent media and intellectuals, who were free from specific political powers or beliefs, was taken up and in this context Japan's postwar experiences in democratizaion and the redemption of human dignity were discussed. The broadcasting equipment, which the Government of Japan will provide in order to restore public broadcasting in Kosovo, was expected to play an important role in the Kosovo elections this fall. Environmental issues were discussed as a shared problem, fundamental to human existence, which transcended national issues and could naturally encourage transnational cooperation. In this context, making the best use of the knowledge base in the Regional Environmental Reconstrucion Programme for Southeastern Europe was discussed. Furthermore, the formation of a civil society was alluded to as important, and the activities of the Japanese NGOs in Southeastern Europe, including Kosovo, were introduced into the discussion.

7. The third session was entitled the "Step Towards a Market Economy", and was joined by OECD representatives and economists working in the region. The discussion focused around what kind of national and regional policies will promote inter-ethnic harmony through a transition to a market based economy. Various participants pointed out that economic reform, including more privatization and the creation of a stable business environment in which entrepreneurs could flourish, was indispensable to job creation and economic development. The achievement of this goal will depend upon the countries of the region helping themselves. On the other hand, the international community should put more effort into training a pool of skilled personnel, in particular managers who are able to adapt to the workings of a market economy. It was also stressed that there is a need for a new mechanism to allow small and medium-sized enterprises to operate more smoothly. It was also pointed out that if we encourage Southeastern European companies to contribute to the reconstruction work in Kosovo, this could provide a strong stimulus to the regional economy.

8. This conference focused upon three parallel steps; "The Step to Promote a Harmonious Political Culture," "The Step to Redeem and Establish Human Dignity," and "The Steps towards a Market Economy." Participants share a recognition that in order to implement steadily each of these steps, it was necessary for the international community to continue the program of support to Southeastern Europe, while at the same time encouraging the countries of the region to help themselves. Conference delegates shared the same conclusion that while it will not be easy to achieve reconciliation between local communities, it is important to establish a people-oriented society where tolerance and sensitivity are respected, as soon as possible in Southeastern Europe.

9. Apart from this conference, on the initiative of Japan as the G8 Presidency, a gathering for G8 countries plus participants from Kosovo and Montenegro was convened. At this meeting the importance of the international community's role in both continuing to support Montenegro and strengthening democracy and multi-ethinicity in Kosovo was stressed. It was also hoped that Serbia would soon meet the conditions necessary for receiving the full benefits of support from aid donors and begin to take part fully in the planning of the development of the region.

10. All the themes taken up by this conference require mid to long-term attention. From this viewpoint, the Government of Japan along with the Office of the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe, and other related international organizations will cooperate in considering and implementing follow-up projects. Specifically; the co-sponsoring of follow-up seminars on education in cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF through the UN Human Security Fund, and cooperation with UNESCO to host seminars on the protection of cultural heritage. This will be reported by the Government of Japan at the Kyushu Okinawa Summit in the hope that it will be reflected in the discussions at the Summit whose themes this year are "A More Prosperous 21st century", "Peace in the Hearts of People" and 'A More Stable Society."