NO REASON FOR OPTIMISM AFTER CONTACT GROUP TALKS IN BELGRADE

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Hina) - A meeting between Contact Group officials and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade last night did not produce optimistic results regarding the mutual recognition of former Yugoslav republics and the extension of the ceasefire agreement in Bosnia-Herzegovina, State Department spokesman Nick Burns said in Washington yesterday. Burns said that the Belgrade talks focused on lifting sanctions against the rump Yugoslav federation in return for its recognition of all newly-emerged states. The United States would resolutely continue with attempts to achieve an extension of the ceasefire in Bosnia-Herzergovina which was to expire at the end of this month, Burns said. He added that the US administration believed that, despite heavy fighting in the last few weeks, it made sense to continue with attempts to extend the ceasefire to avoid a large-scale conflict. (hina) mm vm 131243 MET apr 95