YUGOSLAVIA: BRITAIN AND FRANCE WIN BACKING FROM SERBIA FOR THEIR BOSNIAN PEACE PLANS

Record ID: 639714

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: BRITAIN AND FRANCE WIN BACKING FROM SERBIA FOR THEIR BOSNIAN PEACE PLANS
  • Date: 4th December 1994
  • Summary: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (DECEMBER 4, 1994) (REUTERS TELEVISION - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY DOUGLAS HURD, SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC AND FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER ALAIN JUPPE WALK UP TO MICROPHONES FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 0.15 2. CU JUPPE SAYING THAT MILOSEVIC HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN TRYING TO GET A CEASEFIRE AND A PEACE PLAN. THE PLAN REMAINS VALID IN OUR OPINION (FRENCH) (3 SHOTS) 0.46 3. SCU HURD SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 1.06 4. SCU MILOSEVIC SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 1.47 SEQUENCE 3 transcript: HURD :"WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE ROLE OF PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC ACCEPTED THE CONTACT GROUP PLAN NOT ENTIRELY AN EASY THING TO DO AND HE IS DOING WHAT HE CAN TO GAIN GENERAL ACCEPTANCE FOR IT AND I AM SURE THAT WILL CONTINUE" SEQUENCE 4 transcript: MILOSEVIC :"WELL YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT WE CANNOT DECIDE ON THE BEHALF OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBSKA BUT I AM CONVINCED THAT FORCES OF PEACE ARE GROWING THERE AND I AM SURE THAT IT IS ONE EVEN HANDED APPROACH WHICH WILL MAKE THE BASIS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL SIDES AS A BASIS FOR AN OVERALL PEACE AGREEMENT" Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 19th December 1994 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVADT5GR8ZG97QTRF71QK0LRROZ1
  • Story Text: Britain and France on Sunday (December 4) won strong backing from Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in their efforts to revive the flagging Bosnian peace process.

    At a news conference after talks with British and French foreign ministers Douglas Hurd and Alain Juppe, Milosevic said he fully agreed with an international peace plan and called for an immediate end to the fighting.

    Hurd and Juppe's lightning trip to Belgrade was seen as what could be a last-ditch attempt to revive the peace process and dampen growing pressure, particularly within the United States, for a withdrawal of United Nations peacekeeping forces.

    Juppe said that Milosevic had an important role in trying to get a ceasefire and a peace plan.

    Hurd too acknowledged Milosevic's role.

    British officials said Milosevic promised to use his influence to persuade rebel Serbs in Bosnia to accept the peace plan, which proposes a roughly equal split of Bosnia between Serbs and a Moslem-Croat federation.

    Some analysts questioned how great his influence could be after Milosevic broke with Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and introduced a blockade of the breakaway territory in exchange for an easing of international sanctions against Belgrade.

    Milosevic said he was convinced that the forces of peace were growing.

    Desperate for relief from sanctions, Milosevic has backed the peace process. But it is unclear whether he can persuade the Bosnian Serbs to accept an international plan to divide up the former Yugoslav republic and end the war.


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