U.S., France and Russia Back U.N. Bosnia Plan

Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin, President Clinton and French President Francois Mitterrand all urged the warring factions in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday to accept the fundamental provisions of a United Nations peace plan.

Yeltsin’s statement was the clearest public signal yet of Russian pressure on the Serbs--who have long looked to Moscow as an ally--to accept the U.N. plan proposed by former Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance and former British Foreign Secretary Lord Owen.

“The parties to the conflict are confronted with the choice between approving the basic components of that plan and assuming responsibility for continued bloodshed,” Yeltsin said. Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s special mediator in the Balkan conflict, told reporters that Yeltsin is urging all sides to accept the Vance-Owen proposal as a basis for further talks that could then modify the plan.

He also said that Russia supports “a loosening and gradual lifting” of international sanctions against Belgrade if the Serbs agree to the plan.

“If one of the sides decides to stay away from the agreement, this side will put itself in a very difficult diplomatic and political situation,” he said.

The Clinton Administration also says that the Serbs, Muslims and Croats can continue to negotiate for changes in the plan, but it has been urging the Serbs and Muslims to be more flexible.

The Vance-Owen plan would divide Bosnia into 10 largely autonomous provinces. The Serbs, Croats and Muslims would each dominate in three provinces, while the 10th--around the capital city of Sarajevo--would be mixed.

In Washington, Clinton and Mitterrand repeated their approval of the basic plan and confirmed promises to send U.S. and French peacekeeping troops if an agreement can be reached.

Clinton told reporters that he and the French president agreed “that we both should be prepared to make our contribution to enforcing an agreement or securing the agreement if the Vance-Owen process could produce one.” But the United States does not intend to send any troops before an agreement is reached, he said.

“We approve of the Vance-Owen plan,” Mitterrand said. “We want it to be successful. We see that it is not perfect, but we know of no better instrument” of peace.

At the United Nations, Vance announced that he and Owen plan to meet Thursday in Paris with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, the chief sponsor of the Serbian nationalist guerrillas in Bosnia. Vance said the meeting is aimed at putting pressure on Milosevic to use his influence to get Bosnian Serbs to sign the peace accord.

The Bosnian Croats have agreed to the Vance-Owen plan. But the Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Serbs have voiced objections.

Boudreaux reported from Moscow and McManus from Washington.