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Archbishops' Council - a statement on Kosovo

30 April 1999

The Archbishops' Council considered the latest developments in the Balkans. It noted the recent statement by His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, following his meeting on 15 April 1999 with Archbishop Gregorios of Thyateira and Great Britain, that "all genuine opportunities for peace" should be pursued with "single-mindedness and commitment".

The Council expressed its grief at the scale of the Balkans tragedy and affirmed the constructive role that the Church, in association with its ecumenical partners, is playing through assistance to the thousands of innocent people who find themselves, as a result of this conflict, displaced and separated from friends, families and homes. It stressed the need for a tolerant and compassionate approach to refugees seeking shelter in England from the conflict. The Archbishop of Canterbury said: "Many in the Church feel a sense of helplessness at the sheer enormity of the suffering and the complexity of the problems. We ask all to pray for an end to the evils of ethnic cleansing, an urgent resumption of negotiations, for all those who are seeking to resolve these issues, and a just and peaceful outcome to the current crisis."

ends

Further information from:
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