RI initiative on Bosnia gains more support
RI initiative on Bosnia gains more support
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto's initiative for a comprehensive solution to end the war in former Yugoslavia has gained the support of virtually all the conflicting parties, according to a senior Indonesian diplomat.
Soeharto, in his capacity as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, broached to the leaders of Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina with his plan during his visits to Zagreb and Sarajevo last month. Both states welcomed the plan.
Following that, Soeharto sent Nana Sutresna, the chief executive assistant to the NAM chairman, to discuss the plan with leaders in the other former Yugoslavia republics: Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia and Macedonia.
Nana, who recently visited the capitals of these three states, told reporters that the reception to the plan was positive, the Antara news agency reported yesterday.
Nana had joined President Soeharto in Almaty, capital of Kazakhstan, where the Indonesian leader was making a state visit to push for increasing economic cooperation.
Soeharto's initiative call for a two-step peace process -- the first one involving solely the warring factions in the former Yugoslavia, and the second bringing in the big powers, neighboring countries and other interested parties. The ultimate objective is the creation of a confederation involving the former republics of Yugoslavia, a founding member of NAM.
Indonesia has stated that it has no plan to act as intermediary. Rather its position is limited to act as a "facilitator" and that the conferences it is proposing could be held in any country, including Indonesia, if the warring parties want to.
Nana, whose recent Bosnian peace diplomacy includes visiting Moscow, said the peace initiative was also welcomed by Russia.
Although the warring parties endorsed Indonesia's proposal, they said they needed time to study the situation thoroughly so it could be performed realistically, Nana said.
"What moved them most was the fact that Soeharto's initiative comes at a time when there seems to be no progress at ending the conflict," Nana said.
Achievements
He pointed out that leaders in the states he visited were all well aware of Indonesia's achievements in solving regional disputes, including in Cambodia, in the South China Sea and in southern Philippines.
Nana said the next move for Indonesia would be to convince the so-called Contact Group of five countries -- Germany, France, Britain, the United States and Russia -- which have been at the forefront in the search for peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.
Nana said Indonesia has already communicated the idea to the group verbally and will soon send a written proposal.
Meanwhile, AFP yesterday reported that President Soeharto flew to Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan, from Almaty for the second leg of his current Central Asian tour. The third will be Turkmenistan on Monday.
During his two-day visit in Tashkent, Soeharto will meet Uzbek President Islam Karimov to discuss building relations between the two Moslem countries.
Two agreements -- on developing relations between Uzbekistan and Indonesia, and on establishing air links between the capitals Tashkent and Jakarta by the end of April -- will be signed, according to the Indonesian embassy in Tashkent.
Soeharto, who was also accompanied by a group of 26 Indonesian business executives, was also to tour the central Asian state's famed historic sites at Samarkand and Bukara. (pwn/emb)