U.S. Diplomats, Serb Leader Upbeat After Talks To End War Milosevic Blamed For Inspiring Rebels, But Serbs On Run Now
U.S. diplomats on Thursday brought their campaign to end the war in former Yugoslavia to the man widely accused of instigating it all, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who responded positively.
But ongoing fighting, expulsions aimed at creating ethnically pure areas, looting and burning of homes illustrated the hatred and desire for vengeance to be overcome.
“Today’s talks were extremely useful, they were very frank and they clarified some issues,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke told reporters after meeting with Milosevic for five hours.
An upbeat-sounding Milosevic added, “We share views on the need for urgency, a greater urgency for finding a solution to the overall crisis in the former Yugoslavia, a solution that would bring about a permanent and just peace.”
Lower-level delegations were to meet later, and Holbrooke and Milosevic were to continue their talks today. The Serbian president also met Thursday with the European Union’s mediator, Carl Bildt.
Milosevic’s nationalist rhetoric is widely blamed for instigating the Serb rebellions in Croatia in 1991 and Bosnia in 1992 as the old Yugoslav federation collapsed. He inspired the rebels with hopes of uniting all Serbs in one “Greater Serbia.”
With support from the Yugoslav army, Serbs captured a third of Croatia and 70 percent of Bosnia, but they are now on the run. Milosevic, seeking an end to U.N. economic sanctions against his country, withdrew his support for the Serb rebels, and early this month, Croatian forces crushed Serbs in southern Croatia. Serbs also have been losing ground to Croats and the Bosnian army in Bosnia.
Milosevic was reported to generally favor the new U.S. plan. Bosnian Serbs, Croatia and the Bosnian foreign minister all spoke positively of it on Wednesday.
Full details have not been released, but media reports have indicated it includes the following ideas: lifting economic sanctions against Serb-led Yugoslavia; swapping the Bosnian government-held Gorazde enclave in eastern Bosnia and land adjoining a Serb-held corridor in northern Bosnia for territory around Sarajevo; providing international aid to rebuild Bosnia; and threats of punishment if either side refuses.
If Bosnian Serbs refuse, U.N. soldiers could be withdrawn and replaced with NATO troops, the arms embargo against the Muslim-led Bosnian government could be lifted and NATO could provide air support for the Bosnian army. If the Bosnian government refuses, the U.N. peacekeeping force could be withdrawn and the arms embargo for all sides could be lifted.
Momcilo Krajisnik, a senior Bosnian Serb leader, told the news agency SRNA that the initiative allows Serbs contiguous territory, a wider link between Serb-held territories in the east and west, and sea access.
Russia and the United States are pressing for a summit of the presidents of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia.
The government has said it will not give up Gorazde, while Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has said the plan must recognize independence for the Bosnian Serbs’ self-proclaimed state.