I am very happy to be in Pristina, together with the Ambassadors of the North Atlantic Council. The news about the day-to-day challenges we face here often obscures the amount of progress that has already been made.

Less than 150 days ago, ethnic cleansing was still going on. Hundreds of refugees had been driven from their homes. Today the refugees are back. Rebuilding is occurring. The first steps to a peaceful future are being taken.

We had good meetings with the UN Special Representative, Dr. Kouchner, the Commander of KFOR, Gen Reinhardt, senior representatives of other international organisations and agencies, and local political leaders.

I would like to congratulate Dr. Kouchner for the excellent job he and the civilian organisations are doing as they take over civil responsibilities from KFOR.

In our meetings, I stressed that NATO remains fully committed to maintaining security and supporting the international community's efforts to rebuild the province.

Having reached strength of over 45,000 troops, KFOR is carrying out its mandate under UN Security Council Resolution 1244 in a robust and evenhanded manner. NATO's troops are doing a superb job, under the most difficult of conditions. We are also grateful to the 13 non-NATO nations that have contributed personnel troops to KFOR, and to the others that intend to do so soon.

Let me stress this point on behalf of all the countries contributing to KFOR: We are committed to seeing that the job here will be done.

I would like to note that amongst these KFOR contributions are some 3,600 Russian troops working side-by-side with NATO. They have demonstrated their professionalism and even-handedness and are co-operating well with other KFOR contributors.

In our meetings with local political leaders, I stressed that all parties must co-operate fully with the UN and KFOR. This includes full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal in bringing war criminals to justice. There can be no lasting peace without justice.

Let me add that it is crucial that the people of Kosovo allow the court system to work. Vigilante justice is no justice, but only a return to violence.

Let me also stress that the UCK has been demilitarised and disbanded. A new civil Kosovo Protection Corps is being established to perform civilian tasks such as reconstruction and winterisation. The KPC is multi-ethnic and under the day-to-day oversight of KFOR. It is essential that all Kosovo leaders make the Kosovo Protection Corps a success.

Let me emphasise that there will only be one Kosovo Protection Corps and it will be multi-ethnic. I am particularly pleased that the KPC officers that recent went to France for initial training included representatives of all the ethnic groups in Kosovo. This is the way forward - and it is the only way forward.

Finally, I want to stress the message that I left with the local political leaders I met today. The leaders of all the ethnic groups must show the way in creating a new climate of reconciliation and tolerance. The ethnic groups in Kosovo must work together. There is no other way.

Respect for human rights is one of the reasons NATO intervened in Kosovo in the first place. Those who have been able to return should not repeat the injustice that has been done to them.

The hatred of the past must not be allowed to drive the politics of the future. Because if they do, every ethnic community in Kosovo will be the loser.

NATO intervened in Kosovo to stop Milosevic from creating a single-ethnic state. NATO will not stand by and see the creation of a single-ethnic Kosovo.

NATO today appointed General Joseph W. Ralston, United States Air Force, to succeed General Wesley K. Clark as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. The appointment will become effective in May 2000.

In a letter from the President of the United States of America to the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, who is chairman of the Defence Planning Committee, the President asked the member governments to agree to release General Clark from his assignment as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.

The committee agreed with great regret to release General Clark. They expressed to General Clark, in the name of NATO governments, lasting gratitude for his distinguished service.

In this regard, the President of the United States of America was asked to nominate an officer of the United States for appointment as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, to succeed General Clark. In response to this request, the President of the United States wrote to the Secretary General to nominate General Joseph W. Ralston for consideration as successor to General Clark with the same powers and functions.

In addition to the NATO position, General Ralston will be assigned as Commander in Chief, United States European Command.