SIDES IN BOSNIA GIVEN TWO WEEKS TO RESPOND TO CONTACT GROUP PLAN

GENEVA, July 5 (Hina) - The sides in Bosnia-Herzegovina will have two weeks to consider the proposal for the territorial and political arrangement of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was unanimously supported this afternoon by foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Russia and the US. Following three-hour talks at the Russian embassy, the ministers acquainted the press with the Contact Group proposal, which is going to be submitted to the representatives of the Bosniac-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serbs on Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev emphasised the integrity of Bosnia-Heryegovina within its internationally recognised borders, consitutional solutions for the Bosniac, Croat and Serb communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the return of the refugees to their homes as the main points of the plan. Ministers Hurd, Kinkel and Juppe stressed that the plan reflected the unanimous agreement of Contact Group members with the principles of territorial division (51:49 percent), their implementation on the ground and the measures to be undertaken depending on the sides' acceptance or rejection of the plan. "The side that rejects the plan will face a firm response of the international community," Kinkel said. US Secretary of State Warren Christopher noted that the six ministers had discussed the eventuality of the Bosnian Serb side rejecting the Contact Group Plan. "The sanctions will be toughened, Kozyrev specified. "If worst comes to the worst, we are going to propose to the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo against the Bosnian Government," he said, adding that the consequences of their choice would be made quite clear to both sides. If the sides accept the Contact Group plan, the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina can count on the assistance of the international community in establishing real control over the territory assigned to it, while the Serb side can hope for a gradual lightening of the sanctions, the ministers said. The six ministers are to meet again in Geneva on July 20 to hear the answers of both sides. 052059 MET jul 94