Will Attempt to Shore Up
Bosnia's Fragile Alliance
BONN, April 23 (Reuters) — The leaders of Bosnia's Muslim-Croat federation will meet in Bonn on Thursday to seek ways of strengthening their shaky alliance, a German foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. The meeting, to be hosted by German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, had originally been scheduled for March 29 but was postponed at the last minute because neither side was willing to make concessions. "The sides were not prepared to make compromises then. But they have since signed an accord in Sarajevo on March 30 agreeing to stabilize the federation, so we thought it would be useful to hold such a meeting," the spokesman said.The federation, forged out of necessity to confront Bosnian Serb might, has unravelled amid recrimination and disputes over organizational details since Bosnia's 3½-year conflict ended in November. But under huge international pressure to fulfil the terms of the Dayton peace accord, Muslim and Croat politicians struck last month's deal taking the brittle two-year-old Bosnian Federation from the brink of collapse.
The Bonn meeting could help pave the way for a functioning government and the creation of democratic institutions in the federation ahead of national elections scheduled for September. But diplomats say negotiations still have a long way to go. The federation still lacks a common currency, budget and banking regulations as well as a proper army and customs system.
One of the key sticking points has been that Muslims and Croats have so far been unwilling to let refugees return to their strongholds or allow civilians to travel freely. Diplomats blame strong nationalist sentiment among Croats, obstruction by lucrative fiefdoms and hatred left over from 1993's bitter Muslim and Croat conflict. "We have offered our good services to make the meeting possible, but it is up to the two sides to come together to discuss the issues at hand and reach some sort of agreement themselves," the German spokesman said.
Bosnian president Alija Izetbegovic, Vice President Ejup Ganic and Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic are invited as well as the Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and Bosnian Foreign Minister Jandanko Prlic. It has not been confirmed whether they will all attend.
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