Prime Minister Welcomes Nato-Serb Agreement

The signing of the NATO-Serb peace agreement is very welcome to all New Zealanders, especially the Kosovar refugees who have recently come here, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley said today.

"This experience has been a lesson that the international community can not stand by and let one person impose ethnic and religious intolerance on an entire population.

"The international community must now work to see that lasting peace is secured."

The plan to allow 200 Kosovar families to come to New Zealand was not affected by the agreement, Mrs Shipley said. Transport Minister Maurice Williamson would represent the Government at the arrival of the next group from Kosovo in Auckland on Saturday.

"As we said when we announced this initiative, we have offered permanent places. Our home is now their home if they want it.

"In the future, once normality is restored, it will be entirely up to them to decide whether or not they want to stay in New Zealand," Mrs Shipley said.