Vance Confirms He’ll Quit as U.N. Peace Negotiator
Former Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance has confirmed that he will step down as U.N. peace negotiator in the Yugoslav region, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorvald Stoltenberg said Thursday that he has been asked to take over.
“I plan to decide as soon as possible . . . before Easter,” Stoltenberg, 61, said after returning to Oslo from New York, where U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali formally offered him the post Wednesday.
U.N. officials said that Vance, who is 76 and has been troubled by ill health, hopes to have his position filled by Easter. He has been working with the United Nations since 1989.
In Washington, meanwhile, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that U.S. and allied fighter jets are expected to begin enforcing a U.N. ban on military flights over Bosnia within two weeks.
“I would expect within two weeks, but not before one week,” Gen. Colin L. Powell said.
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