- Title: MALAYSIA: LEADERS OF 14 MOSLEM NATIONS BEGIN MEETING ON BOSNIA
- Date: 14th September 1995
- Summary: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (SEPTEMBER 14, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF MEETING VENUE 0.04 2. SV MEDIA 0.07 3. SV MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ABDULLAH BADAWI ESCORTS IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALI AKBAR VELAYATI AND OTHER FOREIGN AND DEFENCE MINISTERS FROM ISLAMIC NATIONS 0.12 4. PAN DELEGATIONS ENTER CONFERE
- Embargoed: 29th September 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- City:
- Country: Malaysia
- Reuters ID: LVA9MR90OQSNEIO5SHRC5A2A3SA7
- Story Text: Leaders of 14 Moslem nations began a two-day meeting on Thursday (September 14), reaffirming their stand that they do not recognise a United Nations (U.N.) arms embargo on Bosnia. They were also due to finalise plans to deliver arms to Bosnian Moslems.
Delegations from Bosnia, led by Foreign Minister Muhamed Sacirbey, and from Croatia are also attending the meeting.
"We meet today at the level of Defence Ministers and Foreign Ministers in our collective effort to actualise the important decision we took in Geneva on July 21 under the chairmanship of Morocco," Malaysian foreign minister Abdullah Badawi said in his opening address.
On July 21, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) unilaterally declared the arms embargo on Bosnia invalid and revealed plans to provide military aid to Bosnian Moslems.
Foreign and defence ministers of the OIC began arriving in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday (September 13) for the meeting, which was preceded by three days of discussions between senior officials and military commanders.
Abdullah said the OIC backed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) pounding of Serb positions, which has entered into its second week.
"The decisive military action must continue with all its force in order to demonstrate to the Serbs that the only way for them is the road to the negotiating table," he said.
"The only language that the rebel Serbs understand is the language of force," he added.
Abdullah criticised Western nations who he said were seeking to appease the Serbs.
"The policy of appeasement had led Hitler to take control of almost the whole of Europe. It also led to the holocaust. We are now dealing with little Hitlers and Eichmanns," he said in his remarks.
The OIC meeting will also discuss the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Bosnia and is expected to propose a US$400 million fund for task.
Four OIC countries -- Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan and Bangladesh -- have troops in Bosnia with the United Nations peacekeeping force.
Malaysian troops and tanks which served the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia paraded through the streets of Kuala Lumpur to mark the opening of the talks.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None