INTRO: WITH THE AMERICAN PEACE INITIATIVE IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA ON HOLD, THE BOSNIAN AND CROATIAN GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A PEACE AGREEMENT ANY TIME SOON. BUT, A CROATIAN ARMY ATTACK ON THE BOSNIAN SERBS -- WHO HAVE BEEN SHELLING THE AREA AROUND THE ADRIATIC PORT CITY, DUBROVNIK -- MAY NOT BE IMMINENT. V-O-A CENTRAL EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT WAYNE COREY REPORTS.
TEXT: THE AMERICAN PEACE INITIATIVE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY THE BOSNIAN AND CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS AT THE ZAGREB AIRPORT.
THEY SAY THEY HOPE THE U-N INITIATIVE CAN QUICKLY RESUME. IT IS ON HOLD FOLLOWING THE DEATHS OF THREE KEY U-S OFFICIALS IN A ROAD ACCIDENT NEAR SARAJEVO (SATURDAY.)
BECAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE BIG POWER CONTACT GROUP ON BOSNIA IS POSTPONING A MEETING, SCHEDULED TO HAVE BEEN HELD ON TUESDAY.
BOSNIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MUHAMED SACIRBEY SAYS HIS GOVERNMENT WELCOMED THE NEW AMERICAN PEACE PROPOSALS FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA. HE SAYS THEY WOULD PUT NEW PRESSURE ON THE BOSNIAN SERBS TO ACCEPT A PEACE AGREEMENT.
MR. SACIRBEY EARLIER SAID SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC IS STILL NOT COMMITTED TO YUGOSLAV RECOGNITION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND CROATIA.
CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MATE GRANIC SAYS HE WOULD EXPECT A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT OF THE YUGOSLAV CONFLICT TO REINTEGRATE REMAINING SERB-HELD TERRITORY WITH THE REST OF CROATIA. BUT, CROATIAN PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN TOLD FRENCH TELEVISION HE IS NOT VERY OPTIMISTIC THE AMERICAN PEACE INITIATIVE WILL SUCCEED. MEANWHILE, A CROATIAN ARMY ATTACK ON THE BOSNIAN SERBS -- WHO HAVE BEEN SHELLING THE AREA AROUND THE ADRIATIC CITY, DUBROVNIK -- MAY NOT BE IMMINENT.
DESPITE A LARGE CROATIAN MILITARY BUILDUP IN THE AREA, THE CITY'S MAYOR SAYS A LITTLE MORE TIME WILL BE GIVEN FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO ENSURE DUBROVNIK'S SECURITY. UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS IN ZAGREB SAY THE BOSNIAN SERBS HAVE NOT SHELLED THE DUBROVNIK REGION FOR AT LEAST TWO DAYS. THE CROATIAN ARMY ALSO APPEARS TO HAVE STOPPED SHELLING A SERB-HELD TOWN, (TREBINJE), JUST ACROSS THE BORDER IN BOSNIA.
THE BOSNIAN SERBS HAVE SHELLED U-N / DECLARED SAFE AREAS IN BOSNIA, THOUGH. THE ATTACKS RAISE NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL PLEDGES TO PROTECT MUSLIM CIVILIANS.
THREE CIVILIANS WERE KILLED WHEN A SINGLE SERB ARTILLERY SHELL HIT THE MUSLIM ENCLAVE, GORAZDE, IN EASTERN BOSNIA ON SUNDAY. A U-N SPOKESMAN IN SARAJEVO SAYS A LIMITED ATTACK OF THAT KIND IS NOT ENOUGH TO CALL FOR NATO AIR STRIKES AGAINST SERB POSITIONS.
U-N SOURCES SAY NATO WARPLANES WOULD NOT BE CALLED ON TO LAUNCH AIR STRIKES AGAINST THE SERBS UNLESS THEY CLEARLY THREATENED OR ACTUALLY TRIED TO CAPTURE GORAZDE.
OTHER SOURCES TOLD V-O-A THAT WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN A DEADLY SERB
CLUSTER BOMB EXPLODED IN THE U-N SAFE AREA, BIHAC, IN
NORTHWESTERN BOSNIA. THERE ARE NO DETAILS OF POSSIBLE
CASUALTIES. (SIGNED)
NEB / WC / WOD / MMK / GPT
21-Aug-95 1:21 PM EDT (1721 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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