SARAJEVO, April 25 (Hina) - The international community is determined to and capable of successfully terminating missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) and Kosovo, NATO chief commander for Europe, General Wesley Clark, said in Sarajevo
on Tuesday. Clark pointed out the key to resolving the Balkans issue were democratic changes which he said must take place. Democratic changes in Belgrade and the execution of justice, namely the apprehension of war crimes suspects to The Hague, are the key for the Balkans, the NATO general told reporters in BH's capital. Clark visited Albania and Kosovo before BH, ahead of leaving the post of NATO's chief commander for Europe early next month. While in BH, he visited Srebrenica, a formerly UN-protected safety haven, and held talks with the three members of BH's Presidency. Clark said NATO's engagement in Kosovo, which he believes has been completely successful, had
SARAJEVO, April 25 (Hina) - The international community is
determined to and capable of successfully terminating missions to
Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) and Kosovo, NATO chief commander for
Europe, General Wesley Clark, said in Sarajevo on Tuesday.
Clark pointed out the key to resolving the Balkans issue were
democratic changes which he said must take place.
Democratic changes in Belgrade and the execution of justice, namely
the apprehension of war crimes suspects to The Hague, are the key
for the Balkans, the NATO general told reporters in BH's capital.
Clark visited Albania and Kosovo before BH, ahead of leaving the
post of NATO's chief commander for Europe early next month. While in
BH, he visited Srebrenica, a formerly UN-protected safety haven,
and held talks with the three members of BH's Presidency.
Clark said NATO's engagement in Kosovo, which he believes has been
completely successful, had been the result of lessons learned in
BH.
After the war in BH, we said a humanitarian catastrophe of that kind
must not reoccur, and we prevented it by taking action in Kosovo,
Clark said.
He pointed out NATO and the international community were closely
following Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's every move, and
doing everything to maintain peace in Kosovo and support in
Montenegro the democratic processes implemented by President Mile
Djukanovic's government.
Clark said there was no doubt that missions to Kosovo and BH would be
completed successfully, but reminded that key changes in the
Balkans could be ensured through connections with member-countries
in Euro-Atlantic integration.
We can help, but the key of change is in the people of this region,
who must renounce the kind of nationalism which belongs to the 19th
century, the NATO general said.
Clark confirmed the Stabilisation Force in BH would continue
arresting war crimes suspects, but added local authorities had the
primary responsibility to do so. He said he had emphasised this
point to the members of BH's Presidency, adding all suspects would
be arrested.
(hina) ha