RI's Bosnia peace proposal

RI's Bosnia peace proposal

In a statement to reporters, President Soeharto explained the Indonesian view on how to settle the protracted conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina as proposed to the presidents of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. To both presidents, President Soeharto proposed the formation of a confederation among the former Yugoslavian states of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Macedonia and Serbia-Motenegro.

According to President Soeharto, Indonesia's proposal concerning the formation of a confederation as part of an overall settlement of that protracted conflict had been accepted by the presidents of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Therefore, an envoy will shortly be dispatched to Serbia, Slovenia and Macedonia to clarify the Indonesian proposal and forestall suspicion.

In the experience of Indonesia, which helped among other things to settle the Cambodian conflict, a face-to-face meeting among the parties involved is the most effective means of coming to a solution.

By President Soeharto's conveying those proposals for an overall settlement of the conflict in that region, Indonesia has started the ball rolling. It is now up to the parties in the conflict to respond.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta