USA/RUSSIA: AS FIRST GROUP OF RUSSIAN TROOPS ENTER INTO YUGOSLAVIA, WESTERN OFFICIALS GET ASSURANCES FROM MOSCOW THAT THE FORCE WILL NOT ENTER KOSOVO UNILATERALLY

Record ID: 989981

  • Title: USA/RUSSIA: AS FIRST GROUP OF RUSSIAN TROOPS ENTER INTO YUGOSLAVIA, WESTERN OFFICIALS GET ASSURANCES FROM MOSCOW THAT THE FORCE WILL NOT ENTER KOSOVO UNILATERALLY
  • Date: 11th June 1999
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C, UNITED STATES (JUNE 11, 1999)(POOL - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON LEAVING WHITE HOUSE AND WALKING TO HELICOPTER (2 SHOTS) 0.13 2. MCU NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER SANDY BERGER SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS, SAYING: "(Russian) Prime Minister (Igor) Ivanov has said they have no intention of acting unilaterally. (U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe) Talbott is in Moscow trying to work out details for their participation." (ENGLISH)/BERGER WALKINT TO HELICOPTER 0.46 3. SLV HELICOPTER TAKING OFF 0.59 MOSCOW, RUSSIA (JUNE 11, 1999)(REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4. SLV EXTERIOR VIEW OF FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING 1.04 5. SLV/MCU OF RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV AND AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHUESSEL AT NEGOTIATING TABLE (3 SHOTS) 1.19 6. LV IVANOV AND SCHUESSEL AT NEWS CONFERENCE 1.22 7. MCU (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV SAYING "As I have often emphasized, we cannot allow Kosovo to be turned into a vacuum, so that Serb forces will be removed from the area with no force in place to guarantee security. (GERMAN TRANSLATION FOLLOWS) "So Russia is making preparations for deployment in Kosovo, but so far no troops have been placed there. (GERMAN TRANSLATION FOLLOWS) "As to what the translation of what President Clinton said about Yugoslavia, it's difficult to say." (GERMAN INTERPRETATION FOLLOWS) 2.14 8. SV MEDIA 2.20 9. LV IVANOV AND SCHUESSEL AT DAIS 2.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th June 1999 13:00
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  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES/ MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAE1IJ5EG3ZZ13YOHE47S0KY888
  • Story Text:A first group of Russian troops have made a surprise
    entrance into Yugoslavia, but Western officials were quick to
    say they had assurances from Moscow that the force would not
    enter Kosovo unilaterally.

    With their sudden appearance at the border on Friday
    (June 11), the Russians became the first foreign troops to
    arrive in Yugoslavia after the signature of an international
    peace deal.Under it NATO ended its 11-week bombing campaign
    on Thursday and Yugoslav security forces began pulling out of
    Kosovo.

    The Russians' arrival surprised NATO nations which have
    been trying to coordinate a much-heralded entry into the
    southern Serbian province to fill a vaccuum created by
    withdrawing Yugoslav forces.

    In Washington, Security Adviser Sandy Berger said Russian
    Prime Minister Igor Ivanov had no intention of acting
    unilaterally and negotiations were still underway to determine
    Russian involvement in any Kosovo force.

    NATO sources in Brussels said they were not sure of the
    Russians' intentions, and said ambassadors from the 19-member
    alliance would meet later on Friday.

    Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Russia was planning to
    send troops to Kosovo but none had yet entered the province.

    Russia's Interfax news agency said the troops would remain
    on Serbian territory until they were given the political
    go-ahead to move into Kosovo.

    NATO said from Macedonia later that a token force of 100
    Russian troops had entered Yugoslavia to get their "feet on
    the ground first".

    U.S.and Russian officials continued to haggle in Moscow
    over the nature of Russian participation in the NATO-led
    international security force in Kosovo.

    Moscow, which has traditionally close ties with fellow
    Slavic Serbia, insists that its troops should be in control of
    a sector of the province similar to those allotted by NATO to
    the British, U.S., German, French and Italian contingents in
    KFOR.
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