We sent planes to patrol the skies above Kosovo to monitor compliance with international agreements. And we established an Extraction Force to evacuate, in case of emergency, OSCE personnel on the ground verifying compliance. In December it became clear that Milosevic was not respecting his commitments to NATO or the wider International Community, and that the Kosovar side was prepared to fight Belgrade's relentless repression. Last week the international community decided that the cycle of violence, fuelled by both sides, had to end. A negotiating process, led by the Contact Group, was set in motion last Friday, and one day later NATO decided to back up that process with the threat of military action.
Much work lies ahead to reach a peaceful and lasting settlement.
With determination and the full engagement of the International Community, including NATO, we will succeed. Let us not forget that in the past decade we have achieved so much that seemed impossible at first. We have seen cooperation take place between NATO and its former adversaries, including Russia. Most dramatically, we have seen an unprecedented international effort to end the war in Bosnia and secure lasting peace for that devastated country. These are no small achievements.