LONDON, Dec 4 (Hina) - International High Representative for the implementation of civilian issues of the peace agreement in Bosnia Herzegovina, Carl Bildt, said in London on Wednesday that the peace agreement for Bosnia-Herzegovina
was the most ambitious agreement of its kind in modern history.
BILDT
LONDON, Dec 4 (Hina) - International High Representative for the
implementation of civilian issues of the peace agreement in Bosnia
Herzegovina, Carl Bildt, said in London on Wednesday that the peace
agreement for Bosnia-Herzegovina was the most ambitious agreement
of its kind in modern history. #L#
Bildt confirmed the readiness of the international community
to fulfill its obligations towards Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He stressed the establishment of a powerful central government
which would be able to cooperate with the international community
as one of the most important steps in the realization of the peace
agreement.
The conference in London was then addressed by all three
members of the Bosnian Presidency, Kresimir Zubak, Alija
Izetbegovic and Momcilo Krajisnik.
Describing their speeches, a representative of the British
Foreign Office told reporters that all three members had supported
the implementation of the agreement, but that Momcilo Krajisnik and
Kresimir Zubak had had objections to its application.
He said Krajisnik had complained about an unequal approach of
the international community towards entities in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
adding that the objections of Croat representative Zubak had been
similar.
Sources close to the Croat delegation said that Zubak had
called on local elections to be held as soon as possible, stressing
their importance for the process of the return of refugees.
Only by constituting municipalities could national equality be
ensured, Zubak said.
He suggested that countries with a mixed national population
such as Switzerland and Belgium, whose constitutions could be used
as examples for the organization of Bosnia-Herzegovina, should get
more engaged in the peace process.
NATO representatives General George Joulwan and Javier Solana
spoke about the substitution of IFOR troops with the new
Stabilization Force (SFOR) troops.
New troops which should assume their duties on 20 December,
would consist of 31,000 soldiers from 34 countries, and their
mandate would last 18 months, they said.
The work of SFOR will be divided into four phases. The first
will last 45 days, during which IFOR will be replaced by SFOR. This
will be followed by a stabilization period for concluding all
military aspects of the peace process.
During the third phase, SFOR troops will be deployed and the
last phase of the international military forces' mandate in Bosnia
should end in June 1998.
NATO representatives also spoke about the intentions of their
organization to firmly respond if UN troops in the Croatian
Danubian area found themselves in any danger, sources close to the
Conference said.
Considering the small number of soldiers in SFOR, as opposed
to IFOR, SFOR would be orientated only towards the most important
problems such as control of the border between entities in Bosnia
or the separation of forces, NATO representatives said.
(hina) lm mm
041932 MET dec 96