BOSNIA: SERBIAN PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC REJECTS US PROPOSAL

(23 May 1995) English/Nat
A US proposal to suspend economic sanctions against Serbia in exchange for recognition of Bosnia and Croatia has been turned down by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic Tuesday.
Earlier at the self styled Bosnian Serb parliament in Banja Luka Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic also rejected the idea of a federal state- saying his aim was to establish a centralised Serb state
Meanwhile, UN troops have become the object of further incidents of violence in Sarajevo.
Proudly singing the Serbian national anthem Radovan Karadzic and Serbian parliamentary deputies convened in Banja Luka Tuesday to set their agenda for unifying Serb political and military forces in Croatia.
Meanwhile in Washington, U-S State Department spokesman, Nicholas Burns announced the failure of Serbian President Milosevic to accept an American proposal to suspend economic sanction in return for recognition of Bosnia and Croatia.
SOUNDBITE:
They floundered on one point. And that is the Serbia is insisting on a lifting of the sanctions and the United States and contacts groups position was and is that there can be a suspension of sanctions but not a lift. That offer is still on the table, there certainly cannot be a lifting of sanctions until the Pale Serbs accept a contact group map and plan as the basis for discussions.
SUPERCAPTION: Nicholas Burns, U-S State Department spokesman
Milosevic declined to accept the suspension of sanctions in return for recognition of Bosnia and Croatia because accepting the deal would have directly opposed Bosnian Serb desires to for a greater Serbia.
Milosevic was scolded earlier this week by Karadzic for suggesting Serbia may recognize Bosnia.
Until a joint session of both Bosnian and Croat Serb "parliaments" that should take place May 31, a six-member joint committee will try to work out details on the unification.
In the shorter term, violence looks set to continue in Sarajevo.
Today (Tuesday), United Nations troops and monitors found themselves to be the objects of sniper fire.
This latest incident occurred at an intersection in central Sarajevo which has become notorious for sniping.
These three civilian men, sitting in their truck at the intersection at the time of the attack, narrowly escaped injury.
Following the death of a man killed at this very spot a week ago by snipers hiding in the surrounding buildings, the U-N troops have erected sniper barricades.
Armoured personnel carriers have been parked in the road, and the troops have been ferrying people back and forth across the street.
The number of people who have died in Sarajevo this month stands at 29, with 105 people injured.

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