U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (May 15, 1995)

From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)

Subject: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (May 15, 1995)

DEPARTMENT

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FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

Support for UNPROFOR/Contact Group Map and Plan ..........8-10

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AEGEAN SEA

Report of Request for Cancellation of Military Maneuvers .12-13

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MR. BURNS: Good afternoon. Welcome to the State Department briefing.

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Q On Russia. Anything else on Iran? On Russia, Nick, little reported in the press from the recent visit to Moscow, especially on the issue of Bosnia. I know there were so many other issues. But can you tell us, was progress made with the Russians insofar as addressing the military problems in Bosnia? Specifically, did you discuss with them -- was it discussed with them the matter of their threatening to withdraw their troops? I think that was predicated on several matters, but one of them was a cease- fire lapsing, which it has.

And could you then take that another step and say have you heard anything from the British and French who are meeting, I think, today -- have met already today -- on their commitment to UNPROFOR?

MR. BURNS: I can tell you I had just seen before coming out here a wire report. It quotes Foreign Minister Juppe saying that he and Foreign Secretary Hurd had a good meeting, that they discussed all these issues, and they both supported the continuation of UNPROFOR in the region. The United States supports that strongly as well.

As you know, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke was in Frankfurt last Friday for a meeting of the Contact Group. That was a good meeting. That meeting reconfirmed the Contact Group position that it is still worth talking to Mr. Milosevic about our basic offer of limited sanctions relief in return for recognition of Bosnia.

I think that meeting and the summit meetings in Moscow -- conversations between Secretary Christopher and Foreign Minister Kozyrev and between the two Presidents -- confirm the basic unity of the Contact Group on that plan. I'm not saying we don't have tactical differences. We certainly have tactical differences. I think some of them still remain exposed as a result of these discussions.

But we have, I think if you will, a strategic agreement in the Contact Group that we ought to continue to leave on the table the plan that has been there for a while: the Contact Group map and plan and the offer of limited sanctions relief. We haven't given up on that yet.

All of us in the Contact Group remain very concerned about the breakdown of authority both in Bosnia, particularly around Sarajevo, but also in Croatia. All of us support the continuation of UNPROFOR, and I believe that includes the British and the French.

The United States very strongly supports the French position that the mandate of the U.N. peacekeepers in UNPROFOR ought to be strengthened, that the soldiers on the ground ought to have the ability to defend themselves. We are therefore encouraged by the U.N. Secretary General's interest in reviewing this mandate. We are participating in those discussions, and we hope that they will be positive.

Q But about the issue of the Russians taking their troops out, do you have anything that you can report about what they said on that issue?

MR. BURNS: I can tell you that based on the meeting that Secretary Christopher had with Foreign Minister Kozyrev on Wednesday in the Kremlin, we did not hear from the Russians that they were considering, in any serious or imminent way, the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from UNPROFOR. They do have the same concerns I think that all of the other troop-contributing countries have about ways that should be worked out to strengthen the U.N.'s authority, to strengthen the ability of UNPROFOR to secure the U.N. mandates.

But I think the Russians at this point remain an active participant in the process and will continue.

Q What would it require to strengthen the mandate? Would you have to go back to the Security Council and get a new resolution?

MR. BURNS: I think it's unclear right now. Given the very serious breakdown of authority over the last couple of weeks, the most positive thing is that the United Nations Secretary General has said that he recognizes there is a serious problem. He's been conducting meetings for the better part of a week about this problem.

Suffice it to say that the United States will support whatever pragmatic and realistic options are put to us and to our allies to strengthen UNPROFOR and strengthen the ability of people to defend themselves, and that also get to the question of the usefulness of NATO and UNPROFOR working together in a more effective way to enforce the U.N. resolutions.

There was an incident about ten days ago where that clearly did not happen -- after the Serbs shelled a U.N. protected zone -- where there was no response. The United States has long believed that there ought to be an aggressive defense of the U.N. resolutions, and that continues to be our position as we talk to the U.N. and to the other Contact Group members.

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Q There were reports yesterday from Athens that the U.S. Administration has asked both Ankara and Athens to cancel all the military maneuvers in the Aegean until some confidence- building measures can be worked out between the two governments. Is that true?

MR. BURNS: Let me look into that. I have not seen that particular report, so I will try to get you an answer on that. Our position, of course, is that both countries are valued NATO allies. We always seek to find ways to improve their bilateral relations. It is sometimes possible for the United States to help; it is sometimes preferable that the two countries work out their problems together.

On this one, I'll just try to get more specific information, if it is available.

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(The briefing concluded at 2:15 p.m.) (###)