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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release April 12, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

President Clinton spoke on Saturday to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the tragic situation in Kosovo caused by the repressive policies of Slobodan Milosevic. The President warmly welcomed Mr. Annan's statement on Friday calling upon the Yugoslavia authorities to end their campaign of intimidation and expulsion, withdraw their forces from Kosovo and accept the deployment of an international military force to ensure a secure environment for the return of refugees.

The UN Secretary General's statement is very much in line with the policy being pursued by the United States and its NATO allies and the conditions we have set for ending air strikes. Mr. Annan's statement is further evidence of the strong international consensus that Milosevic must give the people of Kosovo the security and self-government they deserve.

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