(17 Oct 1995) Russian/Eng/Nat
U-S special envoy Richard Holbrooke has praised Russia for its involvement in efforts to bring peace to the former Yugoslavia.
Speaking in Moscow, he said the Contact Group had made only limited progress in its
quest for peace, but would have fared worse without the help of Russia.
The comments appear aimed at appeasing the Kremlin, which seeks a prominent role for itself in securing a future peace settlement in Bosnia.
The Contact Group convened in Moscow Tuesday for its last high-level meetings before
Bosnia's Muslims, Croats and Serbs convene in the U-S at the end of the month.
Those talks between the warring parties are aimed at working out details of a power-sharing deal to end the three-and-a-half-year-old war.
American mediator Richard Holbrooke said the five-nation Contact Group had made only limited progress in its quest for peace in Bosnia.
But he stressed the group would have fared worse without the help of Russia.
His comments appeared aimed at appeasing Moscow, which seeks a prominent role for itself in securing peace in the former Yugoslav republic and is worried the U-S and NATO will take over peacekeeping operations.
SOUNDBITE:
"I want to say again that Russia's participation in the Contact Group has been an essential ingredient in our search for peace, and whatever limited progress we've made so far, that progress is very limited. The road ahead is very difficult and we are overwhelmed by the challenge in negotiations. But we would not be where we are today without the involvement of the Russian Federation as part of this progress."
SUPER CAPTION: US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke
The Russian deputy foreign minister stressed that members of the Contact Group might have different opinions, but all had the same goal.
SOUNDBITE: (In Russian)
"As to the differences, these differences are not between Russia and the United States, Russia and the other states. There are different viewpoints among all. Because we are looking for answers to questions to which nobody has found answers."
SUPER CAPTION: Igor Ivanov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and co-chairman Contact Group
Holbrooke told reporters that despite questions about its effectiveness, the Contact Group was getting results.
SOUNDBITE:
"But I think today's meeting and the events are about to unfold should prove to you and to the world that the Contact Group is alive, it survived. And more than that it is alive and well and will work together to achieve a peace agreement in the former Yugoslavia.
SUPER CAPTION: US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke
But he cautioned against premature optimism that peace was at hand in Bosnia.
SOUNDBITE:
"Do not assume that we are going to sail into a peace agreement. There's much too much assumption that we've got peace around the corner. It isn't around the corner. All the major issues between the Bosnians and the Serbs and the Croatians are still in dispute."
SUPER CAPTION: US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke
Holbrooke added U-S Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott would remain in Moscow to continue the talks on Russia's future role in Bosnia.
Other Contact Group mediators are to travel to the former Yugoslavia for meetings with Serbian and Bosnian leaders.
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