21st anniversary of the Kumanovo Agreement, Jackson Serbs: If you fail in time the bombings continue

This agreement had come after a marathon negotiation process between NATO and the generals of Serbia's military, who signed the agreement to withdraw Serb troops from Kosovo two and a half months after the NATO air campaign of shelling had begun on the limits of the Serbian Army.

The agreement contained the removal of all Serb forces from Kosovo, the halting of NATO bombings and the return to Kosovo of hundreds of Kosovars who had walked away violently from Kosovo.

The two delegations had indicated the difficulty of negotiations, but had resulted in an agreement that would implement a peace plan for Kosovo after 78 days of bombing.

The achievement of the deal was made public by British General Mike Jackson, who had led the NATO Forces deployed in Kosovo, known as KFORkosovo Force.

Jackson had said the agreement signed between NATO and Yugoslavia's generals showed instructions for the removal of Serb troops from Kosovo and the return of Albanian refugees to Kosovo.

Jackson, the famous General, known as Prince of Darkness after KFOR's entry into Kosovo, had become internationally known to the incident at Pristina Airport when he argued over the phone with Wesley Clark American General Commander of NATO Forces for Europe what to do with Russian troops who had usurped the airport, in Kumanovo had stressed that if Serbian forces did not leave on schedule for the agreement, then NATO air attacks would resume.

“I can confirm that General Svetozar Marjanovic and General Obrad Stevanovic have signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and I have signed on behalf of NATO. According to the agreement's provisions, the deal to launch the departure of Serbian troops has been confirmed, and if the deal is violated then the agreement requires the resumption of the” bombing, Jackson had said.

Jackson had said that the fact that such an agreement was signed shows that there is hope for a future and for the reconstruction of Kosovo so that Albanians can return to their normal life.

General NATO had also stressed that it would not be easy to implement such an agreement and that it understood the need and desire of Albanian refugees from Kosovo for quick return.

“I promise that KFOR will do its best to ensure that the return will be done quickly and in the safest way possible.

After the signing of the agreement, Serbian General Svetozar Marjanovic, who had led the Yugoslav delegation, had also spoken.

He had said that they were easy negotiations but that it was finally possible to reach an agreement.

The Peace Agreement means that the war ended”, he said.