YUGOSLAVIA/BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: U.S. ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE CONTINUES TOUR TO BOOST PEACE PROCESS IN BOSNIA.

Record ID: 639706

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA/BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA: U.S. ENVOY RICHARD HOLBROOKE CONTINUES TOUR TO BOOST PEACE PROCESS IN BOSNIA.
  • Date: 8th August 1997
  • Summary: BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA/ BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (AUGUST 8, 1997) BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (AUGUST 8, 1997) 1. LV/GV: EXTERIOR PRESIDENTIAL OFFICES (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. GV/PAN: INTERIOR PRESIDENTIAL OFFICES, BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT BILJANA PLAVSIC GREETS HOLBROOKE 0.26 3. GV/MCU: PLAVSIC, HOLBRROKE AND OFFICIALS SEATED FOR TALKS (5 SHOTS) 0.47 4. SCU: JOURNALISTS 0.51 5. GV: PLAVSIC AND HOLBROOKE SEATED AT PRESS CONFERENCE 0.57 6. CU: PLAVSIC SAYING WE WISH FOR PEACE SO WE CAN PROVIDE FOR OURSELVES, PEACE TO RESPECT DAYTON AGREEMENT, IN THIS FRAMEWORK OF THE DAYTON ACCORD WE CAN PROVIDE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, PROTECTION AND A BETTER LIFE (ENGLISH) 1.30 7. CU: HOLBROOKE SAYING SHE IS COMMITTED TO DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW AND A SINGLE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WITH TWO ENTITIES WHICH MUST BE TREATED EQUALLY - THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF DAYTON (ENGLISH) 2.00 8. SCU: CAMERAMAN/ PRESS CNFERENCE (2 SHOTS) 2.07 BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA 9. LV/GV: EXTERIOR U.S. EMBASSY/ HOLBROOKE MOTORCADE ENTERS (2 SHOTS) 2.17 10. GV: YUGOSLAV OPPOSITION LEADERS ARRIVING FOR MEETING WITH HOLBROOKE (3 SHOTS) 2.33 11. GV/PAN: INTERIOR OF BELGRADE TV, HOLBROOKE PREPARING FOR INTERVIEW 2.39 12. CU: HOLBROOKE SPEAKING AFTER INTERVIEW SAYING THERE ARE SIGNS OF PROGRESS BUT WE ARE BEHIND SCHEDULE IN BOSNIA, THE U.S. IS COMMITTED TO ACCELERATING THE PEACE PROCESS TOWARDS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DAYTON ACCORD. MEETING (YUGOSLAVIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN) MILOSEVIC IS KEY BUT I CAN SAY NOTHING TILL THAT'S HAPPENED (REPORTER ASKS ABOUT RADOVAN KARADZIC) HOLBROOKE SAYS KARADZIC SHOULD GO TO THE HAGUE AND DEFEND HIMSELF (ENGLISH) 3.11 13. GV: VIEW OF INTERVIEW ON TV SET 3.15 Initials s.3 - p.3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 23rd August 1997 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BANJA LUKA, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA/ BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA1E2SS0GGLE5LWC2U6026F46W0
  • Story Text: INTRO: U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke, on a whirlwind tour to boost the stalled Bosnia peace process, has met with Serb leaders in Bosnia and Belgrade. Holbrooke resolved a row between Bosnia's ethnic leaders over diplomatic posts then promptly leaned on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to fulfil his part of the Dayton peace accords.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------- Holbrooke met the moderate Bosnian Serb president Biljana Plavsic in Banja Luka on Friday (August 8). The meeting was designed to show the United States' support for Plavsic in her power struggle with former president and now powerbroker Radovan Karadzic, an indicted war criminal.

    It was Holbrooke's first visit to the region since he negotiated a deal last year that forced Karadzic to step down as Bosnian Serb president.

    Under the agreement which was also signed by his former patron, Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, Karadzic was supposed to stay out of politics.

    One year later, Karadzic and his allies persist in attempting to circumvent the Dayton accords which divided Bosnia into autonomous Serb and Moslem-Croat territories ruled by a small central government.

    President Biljana Plavsic has publicly accused them of plundering the territory through vast smuggling rackets and making the country their personal fiefdom.

    They threw her out of the party and threatened to impeach her.

    The matter is now being discussed in the Serb constitutional court which is to decide whether Plavsic stays or goes.

    After meeting Plavsic, Holbrooke left for Belgrade for talks with his old diplomatic adversary Milosevic, now president of Yugoslavia, comprising Serbia and Montenegro.

    Diplomats said Holbrooke would threaten Milosevic with economic sanctions unless he abides by his Dayton commitments, which include handing over indicted war criminals such as Karadzic.

    During the trip, Holbrooke resolved a row between Bosnia's ethnic leaders over diplomatic posts. The dispute, which lasted several weeks, had triggered an international cut-off of contacts with Bosnia's ambassadors.

    Under the deal, a Moslem will be the Bosnian ambassador to the United Nations, a Serb will be ambassador to Washington and a Croat will be envoy to Japan.


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