March 26

(Comments by government and other officials)

Washington -- Government officials and other international representatives have commented on the NATO military campaign to weaken Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milosevic's capacity to wage war against the people of Kosovo.

Following are excerpts of some of their recent statements:

DENMARK

Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen:

Milosevic knows the telephone number so he can call off the strikes if he wants to.

Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen:

Only Milosevic can prevent NATO initiating or continuing the airstrikes.

Defense Minister Hans Haekkerup:

I don't doubt that airstrikes will help in Yugoslavia.... I would feel very bad if we were just passive spectators to what is happening in Kosovo.... We are talking about intense operations, it may take weeks.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey, UN Security Council stakeout:

Bombing is not a good option. War is not a good option any time. But I think it's the best option that we have right now.

UNITED KINGDOM

Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock, UN Security Council stakeout:

This was an exceptional situation where we had tried for months and months and months over the last year and exhausted diplomacy on the ground. All of that activity leading to absolutely nothing....

SWITZERLAND

The Swiss Federal Council:

The Federal Council regrets that despite great efforts on the part of the international community it was not possible to reach an agreement between the Yugoslavian authorities and representatives of the Kosovar-Albanians regarding the future status of Kosovo within the borders of the FRY (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). By denying extensive autonomy for Kosovo and thereby making a negotiated settlement impossible, the Yugoslavian leadership bears responsibility for the failure (of the negotiations). The Federal Council hopes that the severe measures (taken) by the NATO member states will serve to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo and a destabilization of the entire region as well as contribute to solving the conflict.

CANADA

Defense Minister Arthur Eggleton:

I would think that what we're doing here is trying to get a peace agreement, and we're attempting to get the one outstanding remaining party to that peace agreement back to the table to make sure we've got one but it appears that we have to reduce his possibility of making war in order to get him to do that. But this is a humanitarian mission.

Our motivation here is to save the lives of the people of Kosovo, to stop a genocide. I don't believe that Canadians would want us to stand by and do nothing in the face of genocide and that's why we're there, that's why our NATO allies are there.

ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek:

This is absolutely necessary to prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Kosovo.... [Yugoslav authorities] must now give peace a chance.