Voice of America, 2 September 1995

From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis)

Voice of America Directory

CONTENTS

[01] BONN / HOLBROOKE (LONG UNVOICED) BY KYLE KING (BONN)

INTRO: U-S ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD HOLBROOKE SAYS THE BOSNIAN PEACE TALKS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA NEXT WEEK ARE A STEP TOWARD ENDING THE CONFLICT IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA. BUT, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS IN BONN, THE U-S ENVOY SAID THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE. VOA'S KYLE KING REPORTS.

TEXT: MR. HOLBROOKE SAYS ALL THE MAJOR ISSUES WILL BE ON THE TABLE WHEN THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, CROATIA AND YUGOSLAVIA MEET IN GENEVA NEXT WEEK.

AND ALTHOUGH HE WAS CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE ONE DAY MEETING, MR. HOLBROOKE CALLED THE TALKS ANOTHER STEP FORWARD.

THAT MEETING WILL NOT END THE WAR IN BOSNIA. IT WILL HOWEVER, WE HOPE, INCREASE THE MOMENTUM AWAY FROM WAR AND TOWARDS PEACE.

MR. HOLBROOKE SAID THE GENEVA MEETING WILL BE USED TO LAY OUT THE BASIC PRINCIPLES THAT THE WARRING FACTIONS CAN AGREE TO. THE LARGER ISSUES, HE SAID, ARE TO BE SETTLED AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.

EUROPEAN UNION MEDIATOR CARL BILDT, WHO WAS IN BONN WITH MR. HOLBROOKE, SAID THE KEY ISSUES ON THE AGENDA IN GENEVA WOULD BE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF BOSNIA. THE PROBLEM, HE SAID, WILL BE WORKING OUT HOW TO ALLOW THE BOSNIAN SERBS TO HAVE TIES TO SERBIA, AND THE BOSNIAN CROATS TO HAVE TIES WITH CROATIA.

MR. BILDT SAID THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO FLEE THE FIGHTING WILL ALSO BE A KEY ISSUE, AS WELL AS RECOGNITION OF ALL THE STATES IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA.

GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER KLAUS KINKEL, WHO MET WITH MR. BILDT AND MR. HOLBROOKE BEFORE THE BOSNIAN CONTACT GROUP SESSION IN BONN, SAID HE SAW A REAL CHANCE FOR A DIPLOMATIC BREAKTHROUGH.

MR. KINKEL SAID THE SERBS SHOULD REALIZE THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT THE PEACE PLAN. HE ALSO WARNED THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT NOT TO UNDERTAKE ANY FURTHER MILITARY ACTION TO RECLAIM LAND CONTROLLED BY THE SERBS, AND HE APPEALED TO THE GREEK AND MACEDONIAN GOVERNMENTS TO RESOLVE THEIR LINGERING DISPUTE.

NOW THAT WESTERN OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TO DATE ON HIS MISSION, MR. HOLBROOKE SAID HE WILL TRAVEL ON TO GENEVA TO CONSULT WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ISLAMIC STATES.

THE U-S ENVOY WILL THEN RESUME HIS SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY WITH ANOTHER TRIP TO BELGRADE FOR FURTHER TALKS WITH SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSOVIC. (SIGNED) NEB/KBK/DW/CF 02-Sep-95 12:08 PM EDT (1608 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] BOSNIA MEETING 3RD UPDATE (S ONLY) BY DAVID FOLEY (SARAJEVO)

INTRO: A SHELL HAS LANDED IN A SUBURB OF SARAJEVO INJURING SEVEN PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO CHILDREN, AND THE BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER SAID IT WAS A RESULT OF THE PAUSE IN NATO AIR STRIKES AGAINST THE BOSNIAN SERBS. NATO AND U-N OFFICIALS ARE STILL DISCUSSING THE RESULTS OF AN OVERNIGHT MEETING BETWEEN THE U-N AND BOSNIAN SERB MILITARY COMMANDERS. U-N OFFICIALS SAY NO AGREEMENT WAS REACHED AND THE BOSNIAN SERBS ATTACHED CONDITIONS TO ANY WITHDRAWAL OF HEAVY WEAPONS FROM AROUND SARAJEVO. DAVID FOLEY REPORTS FROM SARAJEVO.

TEXT: THE SHELL SLAMMED INTO A SARAJEVO SUBURB IN MID-AFTERNOON, INJURING A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND SHATTERING THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY THAT HAD COME OVER THE CITY.

THE BOSNIAN PRIME MINISTER SAID THE SHELLING WAS EVIDENCE OF CONTINUED BOSNIAN SERB DEFIANCE OF U-N AND NATO DEMANDS TO REMOVE HEAVY WEAPONS FROM AROUND SARAJEVO.

ACCORDING TO U-N OFFICIALS THE SENIOR UN COMMANDER, GENERAL BERNARD JANVIER, FAILED TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH BOSNIAN SERB ARMY COMMANDER RATKO MLADIC DURING A 13-HOUR OVERNIGHT MEETING WHICH U-N OFFICIALS DESCRIBED AS "VERY DIFFICULT."

GENERAL MLADIC REPORTEDLY SAID HIS GUNS WOULD PULL BACK, BUT ONLY UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN DISCLOSED.

THE NATO COMMANDER OF THE AIRSTRIKES, WHICH WERE PUT ON HOLD DURING THE MEETING, FLEW TO ZAGREB TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH U-N OFFICIALS, BUT NO DECISION ON MORE AIRSTRIKES OR MORE NEGOTIATIONS HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED AND CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN OFFICIALS FROM THE U-N, NATO AND WESTERN CAPITALS ARE CONTINUING. (SIGNED)

NEB/DF/DW/CF
02-Sep-95 12:59 PM EDT (1659 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] BOSNIA TALKS (S OVERNIGHTER) BY KYLE KING (BONN)

INTRO: REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONTACT GROUP THAT HAS BEEN TRYING TO NEGOTIATE AN END TO THE CONFLICT IN BOSNIA WILL BE MEETING IN BONN TODAY (SATURDAY) TO DISCUSS THE LATEST U-S PEACE INITIATIVE. U-S ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE, WHO HAS BEEN SHUTTLING BETWEEN THE WARRING FACTIONS WILL TAKE PART IN THE GATHERING, WHICH WILL BRING TOGETHER, U-S, GERMAN, BRITISH, FRENCH AND RUSSIAN REPRESENTATIVES. V-O-A'S KYLE KING HAS THIS REPORT.

TEXT: AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE TOLD REPORTERS IN BELGRADE THAT SERIOUS TALKS ON THE CONFLICT IN BOSNIA HAD FINALLY BEGUN TO TAKE SHAPE.

HIS ASSESSMENT CAME AFTER THE BOSNIAN SERBS AGREED TO ALLOW SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC TO REPRESENT THEM IN ANY FUTURE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

MR. HOLBROOKE SAYS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE IN ANY TALKS WILL BE THE PROPOSED MAP OF BOSNIA. HE SAID EVERYONE HAS AGREED TO THE 51 TO 49 PERCENT SPLIT LAID OUT IN THE PREVIOUS CONTACT GROUP PLAN, BUT HE SAYS EACH SIDE HAS A DIFFERENT IDEA OF WHO CONTROLS WHAT AREA. MEANWHILE, BOSNIA PRIME MINISTER HARIS SILAJDZIC HAS EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS ABOUT PEACE PLAN PROPOSALS THAT WOULD LINK BOSNIAN SERB CONTROLLED AREAS WITH SERBIA ITSELF. MR. SILAJDZIC TOLD REPORTERS IN BONN THAT BOSNIA'S SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY WERE NON-NEGOTIABLE. MR. SILAJDZIC SAID ANY FUTURE SETTLEMENT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE INTERNATIONAL AID FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF BOSNIA. AN IDEA THAT GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER KLAUS KINKEL HAS ALREADY SAID HE SUPPORTS. (SIGNED) NEB/KK/TMS-T/WJK 02-Sep-95 1:27 AM EDT (0527 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] NATO/BOSNIA (S ONLY) BY WAYNE COREY (VIENNA)

INTRO: NATO IS CONSIDERING ISSUING A NEW ULTIMATUM TO THE BOSNIAN SERBS TO WITHDRAW THEIR HEAVY WEAPONS THAT THREATEN SARAJEVO OR FACE MORE NATO AIRSTRIKES. V-O-A'S CENTRAL EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT, WAYNE COREY, REPORTS.

TEXT: THE ULTIMATUM WAS BEING CONSIDERED AT A NATO MEETING IN BRUSSELS AFTER THE SERBS ATTACHED CONDITIONS TO ANY PULLBACK OF THEIR HEAVY WEAPONS FROM SARAJEVO.

ONE OPTION BEING DISCUSSED IS TO GIVE THE SERBS SEVERAL DAYS AT THE MOST TO REMOVE THEIR HEAVY WEAPONS THREAT TO THE BOSNIAN CAPITAL.

AMERICAN PEACE ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE TOLD THE NATO MEETING MILITARY PRESSURE MUST BE MAINTAINED ON THE SERBS.

ACCORDING TO NATO SOURCES, MR. HOLBROOKE SAID THE SERB REPLY TO UNITED NATIONS AND NATO DEMANDS TO RESPECT THE HEAVY WEAPONS EXCLUSION ZONE AROUND SARAJEVO WAS INSULTING.

JUST BEFORE THE NATO MEETING, A SHELL INJURED SEVEN CIVILIANS IN SARAJEVO. THAT PROMPTED MORE BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT CRITICISM OF THE DELIBERATE PAUSE IN OPERATION DELIBERATE FORCE, NATO'S CODE NAME FOR ITS ATTACKS ON THE SERBS.

BOSNIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MUHAMED SACIRBEY HAS WARNED HE MAY BOYCOTT A PLANNED MEETING WITH HIS CROATIAN AND YUGOSLAV COUNTERPARTS NEXT FRIDAY UNLESS THE SERB SIEGE OF SARAJEVO IS LIFTED. (SIGNED)

NEB/WC/CB/SKH
02-Sep-95 6:04 PM EDT (2204 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America