Accomplishments of the OSCE Mission to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It is with both pleasure and regret that we welcome Ambassador Sannino to the Permanent Council today. I say pleasure, because it is always a treat to hear about the excellent work that Ambassador Sannino and his staff are doing in Belgrade and Podgorica. As was noted during Ambassador Sannino's last visit, he continues to set the standard for what we expect in our Heads of Mission.

And I say regret, of course, because this is Ambassador Sannino's final appearance in his capacity as Head of Mission in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. While I am reluctant to deliver a eulogy today, I would like to take a few moments to salute Ambassador Sannino and his fine staff for their tremendous accomplishments over the past year and a half.

Under Ambassador Sannino's leadership, the Belgrade Mission has - in a true partnership with the FRY authorities -- helped Yugoslavia mend lingering problems from the Milosevic era and set the stage for Yugoslavia's greater integration in European and international structures.

Most noteworthy among these accomplishments are the intensive work to build a truly multi-ethnic society in South Serbia, including the work on the upcoming elections, and the tremendous achievements toward creating a balanced, multi-ethnic police force whose aim is to protect and to serve the citizens.

Complementing these activities has been important work in legal and judicial reform and training, and efforts to develop a balanced and impartial media. The most notable example of this is the transformation of RTS into a public broadcasting service -- again converting an instrument of the Milosevic dictatorship into an instrument for community service.

The good work of the Belgrade Mission, and in particular its collaborative approach with the local authorities, has helped restore the OSCE's good reputation in the region. Ambassador Sannino and his staff have also succeeded brilliantly in perhaps the most difficult task our field offices face today, and that is making their presence truly welcome in the eyes of the host government.

Ambassador Sannino, you are moving on to new challenges and opportunities with the European Commission. It is our hope, that with an "OSCE man" in Brussels, we can look forward to greater cooperation between the European Union and the OSCE.

So, let me once again thank you for your service and wish you all the best for the future, both personally and professionally.