USA: UNITED STATES TELLS MACEDONIA IT IS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING STABILITY IN THE BALKAN STATES

Record ID: 337563

  • Title: USA: UNITED STATES TELLS MACEDONIA IT IS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING STABILITY IN THE BALKAN STATES
  • Date: 7th April 1998
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (APRIL 6, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/ZOOM: VARIOUS OF U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WILLIAM COHEN HOSTING HONOUR CORDON FOR MACEDONIAN DEFENCE MINISTER LAZAR KITANOVSKI 0.23 2. LV/GV: CANNONS FIRING (2 SHOTS) 0.37 3. MV/PAN: COHEN AND KITANOVSKI ENTERING PENTAGON 0.49 4. CU: COHEN SPEAKING AT PODIUM AND SAYI
  • Embargoed: 22nd April 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAEHIERIPWE2YNOB0607ALSC91R
  • Story Text: The United States (U.S.) has told Macedonia it favoured extension of the United Nations (U.N.) military force in the Balkan state after it expires in August but did not expect the total of about 350 U.S.troops there to rise.

    Defense Secretary William Cohen said on Monday (April 6) after meeting Macedonian Defense Minister Lazar Kitanovski that he supported extending the U.N.force, although in the long term the form of the international military presence could change.

    "We think that an extension of UNPREDEP (the U.N.

    Preventive Deployment mission), in the short term at least, is the appropriate course of action," Cohen told reporters.

    Asked whether that force might change to being a NATO force or take some other form, he said that it was too early to tell.The issue is under discussion among NATO allies and other interested parties.

    The mandate of the current 700-member force, which also includes Scandinavian troops, ends on August 31 but there are growing fears that the conflict between Serbs and ethnic Albanians in neighboring Kosovo could spill over the border.

    "At our meeting today we discussed the situation in Kosovo and America's commitment to maintaining stability in the Balkans," Cohen said.

    Cohen also said "other actions" would follow if "Serbia continues to favour violence over reason." Cohen said he didn't expect the size of the post-August U.S.contingent to be deployed in Macedonia to increase.

    Kitanovski, whose country has a big Albanian minority, said it was essential to halt the Kosovo conflict."If this is not prevented it could create a domino effect in the entire Balkans," he said.


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