Belgrade, March 12, 2003 - Leaders worldwide severely condemn the assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana:
"I am deeply shocked by the criminal attack against Prime Minister Djindjic. It is a tragedy. I knew Zoran Djindjic very well and worked with him a lot. He was a personal friend and a friend of Europe. I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms. Violence of this kind has no place whatsoever in a democratic society. "This criminal and cowardly act should be fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice."
European Commission Chief Romano Prodi:
"During this transitional phase of the country's history, the European Commission stands by Serbia's side. It will keep doing all it can to ease a reform process that is still under attack from violent anti-democratic and anti-liberal forces."
NATO Secretary General George Robertson:
"I am profoundly shocked and saddened by the assassination of the Prime Minister of Serbia, Zoran Djindjic... Mr. Djindjic was a reformer who worked hard to bring democracy and prosperity to his country and region. In the face of constant threats to his life, Mr. Djindjic behaved with great courage to help his country at a time of crisis. He was a true believer in peace and pursued with vigour the legitimate ambitions of his country to fully integrate the Euro-Atlantic community of nations. This tragedy demonstrates that anti-democratic forces and extremism are still active in Serbia. There will be no sustainable peace, no prosperity, no justice until extremists are brought to justice. The attack on Mr. Djindjic is an attack against all who want to break with the past... Democracy will prevail and the memory of Zoran Djindjic will live on."
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan:
"The secretary general is shocked and saddened," Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard said. "He deplores this act of political violence and trusts that the perpetrators will be brought to justice."
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Netherlands Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer:
"I consider this murder an unacceptable attack on the process of democratization and the rule of law in the country. I expect that the progress made in recent years in moving the country closer to European and international organizations in the field of security and human rights will not be derailed by this cowardly act of violence."
OSCE Mission to Serbia and Montenegro head Maurizio Massari:
"The OSCE Mission strongly condemns this inhumane and cowardly act of violence and reaffirms its full commitment to supporting the Serbian government in combating crime and moving the country towards the European mainstream. It is extremely important that the Djindjic-led reforms are now built upon and consolidated in the interest of the country and as a tribute to the late Prime Minister."
Council of Europe Head Walter Schwimmer:
"[The assassination is] a huge setback to the peace-building and reform process."
EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten:
"Clearly we must not allow the assassination to set back the remarkable progress made Serbia toward democracy."
Stability Pact Special Coordinator Erhard Busek:
"Zoran Djindjic was a man, who was courageous enough to successfully challenge the backward looking dimension in Serbian politics and to break with a past, which isolated Yugoslavia in much of nineties."
Hague Tribunal Prosecutor Carla del Ponte:
"Prime Minister Djindjic was our first supporter in the cooperation with this office of the tribunal. He worked very hard to help us. It was his work, because he did not hesitate when sometimes it was not easy for him politically. We lost our main, important point of connection for our activity, but as I said, I hope someone else will take his position."
US Secretary Of State Colin Powell:
"I was shocked and saddened by the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic of Serbia who died earlier today after being shot in Belgrade. I want to extend the deepest condolences of the United States to his family, his friends and to the government and people of Serbia… I met with him many times and came to know him and admire his courage and wisdom."
US President George W. Bush:
"Prime Minister Djindjic will be remembered for his role in bringing democracy to Serbia and for his role in bringing Slobodan Milosevic to justice," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said and added that President George W. Bush "expresses his condolences to the people of Serbia."
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham:
"Mr. Djindjic was an important reformer and a champion of democracy in Serbia. Canada expresses its sympathy and condolences to Mr. Djindjic's family, his colleagues in government, and to the people of Serbia. We hope the perpetrators of this crime will quickly be brought to justice. Canada continues to stand ready to work with Serbia to advance the rule of law."
French President Jacques Chirac:
"History will remember Djindjic for making the choice of democracy and reforms to guide Serbia on the road to Europe."
British Prime Minister Tony Blair:
"[I was] deeply shocked and saddened… I met him in 2002 and was impressed by the energy he devoted to reforming Serbia and improving life for all her citizens… His murder is a loss to all those, from whatever political party, who have made strenuous efforts to deliver a better future for Serbia."
Croatian President Stipe Mesic:
"I voice the strongest possible condemnation of the terrorist act which ended the life of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic today. I hope that this mindless act will not have any permanent negative effects on the stability of Serbia, that is Serbia and Montenegro, as well as on the situation in the region."
Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou:
"Prime Minister Djindjic's death must remind us all of our own obligation to push ahead, to give backing to democratic forces in Serbia and Montenegro."
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and his Slovenian counterpart Dimitrij Rupel:
"We are shocked and horrified. This crime was aimed not only against Djindjic as a person but also against democracy and stability in the region. This terrible signal from Belgrade must under no circumstances be allowed to hinder this process."
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
"Those guilty must be brought to justice... this savage action will not destabilize Serb society at this difficult time in its history."
Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic:
"I am devastated by this horrible news. Those who committed this vandal, terrorist act, knew they were shooting at the person who was the symbol of a new, reformist, democratic image of Serbia, at the man who opened up European perspectives for Serbia."
Dutch Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer:
"[This assassination is] an unacceptable attack on the process of democratisation and the rule of law in the country."
Bosnia-Herzegovina Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic:
"This act shows how organised crime and terrorism threatens the entire region…This will, for sure, have repercussions for the situation in the whole region."
Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik:
"If this is a politically motivated murder, it shows that the antagonisms in the Balkans are still great, despite an improvement lately."
High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Paddy Ashdown:
"Zoran Djindjic will go down in history as one of the leaders who removed Slobodan Milosevic and brought democracy to Serbia. He set his country firmly on the road of reform. Thanks to Zoran Djindjic's leadership, Serbia has made huge progress in recent years, both as a democracy and towards modern Europe. The best tribute to Zoran Djindjic's memory will be for Serbia to continue with the work he began, and in so doing, to prove that criminal attacks like this cannot defeat democracy."
