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NATO Urges Albanian Rebels to Talk Peace
NATO on Thursday urged armed Albanian guerrillas to enter peace talks with Serbians or face the possibility that the western military alliance allows the Serbian forces re-take control of the buffer zone between Serbia and Kosovo.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson told a press briefing that NATO had called on the ethnic Albanian community in southern Serbia to enter into a dialogue with Belgrade to build a balanced long-term settlement and that NATO welcomed the Serbian initiative for a settlement in the divided Presevo Valley region.
The Serbian proposal for the Presevo Valley was delivered to the NATO headquarters by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic and Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic during their recent visit to Brussels.
"Part of the (Serbian) plan calls for changes to the ground safety zone on the boundary between Kosovo and southern Serbia," said the NATO chief. "NATO is prepared to consider such changes if it will not create a vacuum or only lead to new fighting."
Hundreds of well-armed Albanian guerrillas have moved into the five-kilometer-wide safety buffer zone. They have set up road check-points and commanded villages and have mounted a number of attacks on Serbian police.
NATO, however, assured the Albanians in Kosovo that it was not changing sides and that the Serbian initiative to seek phased removal of the buffer zone must not be used as an ultimatum, said Robertson. He added that NATO was strongly opposed to any attempt to solve the ethnic dispute through violence or so-called anti- terrorist operations.
NATO has praised Serbian forces for their restraint against rebel provocation and Robertson on Thursday appealed for further patience. Premature changes to the buffer zone would carry the risk of only making matters worse, it said.
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