Anniversary of NATO bombing of Serbia, Western ambassadors mourn innocent victims

They said it as a "military intervention that no one desired," expressing "profound regret for the loss of civilian lives in Kosovo and Serbia."

NATO launched airstrikes on the territory of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 24 March 1999, following Belgrade's refusal to sign the Kosovo Agreement from Rambouillet.

NATO member states attempted to secure UN approval, but China and Russia opposed, announcing vetoes. Consequently, NATO launched airstrikes without UN authorisation, which lasted until 10 June 1999. An agreement was reached in Kumanovo, mandating the withdrawal of Yugoslav military and police forces from Kosovo and establishing the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

The withdrawal of the army and police was accompanied by the exodus of tens of thousands of Serb residents from Kosovo. In February 2008, the Kosovo parliament unilaterally declared independence, with a majority of Western support. Today, according to Kosovo authorities, over a hundred UN member states recognize Kosovo's statehood, while Serbia considers Kosovo its territory.

The normalisation process between Belgrade and Pristina began in April 2013 with the Brussels Agreement under the auspices of the EU. This process, characterized by mutual accusations, has been accompanied by constant tensions.

The ambassadors of the leading Western countries underscored that the "Operation Allied Force was designed to compel Slobodan Milosevic, the then-president of FR Yugoslavia, to halt the abuse of the civilian population in Kosovo, prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, facilitate the return of refugees and displaced persons, and grant humanitarian organisations access to Kosovo."

The operation, they noted, was launched "after all political and diplomatic means to persuade Slobodan Milosevic to agree to a diplomatic solution through negotiations for peace in Kosovo had been exhausted."

"Operation Allied Force was not directed against the people of Serbia, and we deeply regret the lost human lives in Kosovo and Serbia," the joint statement emphasized on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia.

The ambassadors, mourning "the lost lives of innocents," reflect on "our shared future with Serbia and Kosovo within the European family of nations."

"We support finding a solution to the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia, which is an urgent matter for European security, and we are convinced that the full implementation of the Ohrid Agreement reached under the auspices and mediation of the European Union is the best way forward towards peace and stability for the people living in Serbia and Kosovo," the statement concluded.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Saturday that he would attend the UN Security Council session scheduled for 25 March, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the bombing, at the request of Russia. Dacic told Tanjug news agency that it is still uncertain whether the session will take place.

He noted that it has been a practice so far that when one of the permanent members of the Security Council requests a session, everyone agrees, but he believes that this may not apply in Serbia's case, "as it would not be the first time that an agreement is violated and the opposite is done."