YUGOSLAVIA: U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE URGES PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO KOSOVO CRISIS.

Record ID: 350301

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE URGES PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO KOSOVO CRISIS.
  • Date: 4th July 1998
  • Summary: PRISTINA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA (JULY 4, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/CU: EXTERIOR OF UNITED STATES CONSULATE/ FLAG (2 SHOTS) 0.09 2. MV/SCU: UNITED STATES SPECIAL ENVOY RICHARD HOLBOOKE WALKING OUT OF MEETING (3 SHOTS) 0.30 3. MCU: HOLBROOKE SPEAKING TO REPORTERS, SAYING "THE UNITED STATES BELIEVES THAT THE SOLUTION TO THE KOSOVO PROBLEM MUST BE
  • Embargoed: 19th July 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PRISTINA, KOSOVO, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVAC7ZUU1E589ODNRW9SI9VFP0A4
  • Story Text: United States special envoy Richard Holbrooke has wound up six hours of talks in Kosovo by urging a peaceful solution to the province's bloody conflict.

    Holbrooke who said he planned to extend his latest round of shuttle diplomacy on the troubled Serbian province by at least another day, also strongly endorsed moderate ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova.

    "The U.S.believes that the solution of the Kosovo problem must be peaceful," Holbrooke said in brief remarks to the press in Pristina, with Rugova by his side.

    "We do not support or encourage in any way action by security or military forces or violent means to solve these problems.

    Holbrooke was due to return to Belgrade for more talks with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who he had met for five hours on Friday night.

    More than 300 people have been killed this year since Serbian forces began a bloody clampdown against the clandestine Kosovo Liberation Army fighting for independence for the province.

    The KLA's struggle has undercut Rugova's non-violent stance, but Holbrooke told him: "Dr Rugova, we honour you for your commitment for a peaceful solution and we reaffirm our support to you and our intention to work closely with you." "Thank you very much," Rugova replied."I ask more involvement of you in the solution of Kosovo questions and Kosovo problems." Recent U.S.contacts with the KLA prompted a cool response from European leaders.They prefer to deal only with Rugova as the elected moderate representative of the ethnic Albanians, who make up 90 percent of Kosovo's 1.8 million people.

    Holbrooke, who has been conducting shuttle diplomacy on Kosovo off and on for months and has warned that the conflict could ignite another Balkan war, held talks alternately at the United States Information Services office and at the offices of Rugova's moderate Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).


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