Freedom of Movement Stressed in 3-Hour
Meeting with Serbian President
BELGRADE, May 7 (Reuters) — Serbia's President Slobodan Milosevic was under pressure from the West on Tuesday to deliver on promises given in Dayton last November and keep the Bosnian peace settlement on track. "We're at a phase of the peace process in Bosnia right now where we have to focus in particular on practical and pragmatic solutions," acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State John Kornblum told reporters in Belgrade on Tuesday. "Much of the structure has been built and now we need to move forward with the practical steps," he said after an almost three-hour meeting with Milosevic.Kornblum, the top U.S. diplomat concerned with Bosnia, is touring the Balkans to focus attention on obstacles to the peace process, especially the lack of freedom of movement for refugees who want to return home across ethnic lines, and creation of conditions for free elections planned for this summer.
"I mentioned in particular the question of freedom of movement which has been an issue of some discussion recently and we discussed ways in which we can assure that the process of freedom of movement moves forward," he said. Kornblum warned in Sarajevo on Monday that the reimposition of sanctions against Bosnia's Serb republic and rump Yugoslavia were the last resort in trying to force full compliance with the provisions of the Dayton peace accord.
"Under the U.N. resolution we have the right to reimpose U.N. sanctions on these two entities," he said. "That is an option that is always there... Sanctions are always a possibility, but our approach right now is to solve the problems first." Kornblum also highlighted on Tuesday the importance of ensuring that all aspects of the Dayton agreement were implemented, "those dealing with war criminals, those dealing with arbitration, those dealing with building of institutions, arms control."
Western diplomats believe that the Dayton peace process has run against nationalist ramparts on all three sides but the Serb side has been singled out as the most obstructive. Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his army commander General Ratko Mladic have both been indicted twice by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague and have not relinquished power in violation of the Dayton peace agreement.
Karadzic has increased his isolationist policies in belief that hardline nationalism could still secure him and his SDS party victory at the coming elections. Milosevic, who won plaudits for his forceful action to bring the hardline Bosnian Serb leaders in line with Dayton, has yet to oust the two from power.
But the threat of sanctions might be playing straight into the hands of Milosevic who is facing major problems at home — problems with the economy, a low standard of living and renewed troubles in Serbia's southern, mostly Albanian-populated province of Kosovo. "Milosevic would actually again get off the hook like in 1992, blaming all his shortfalls on renewed sanctions," a diplomat said.
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