Bosnia to Attend Talks After U.S. Reassurances

Reassured by Secretary of State Warren Christopher that an American-brokered peace plan for Bosnia will not allow rebel Serbs to create their own state, the Bosnian government on Monday dropped its threat to boycott a new round of negotiations, clearing the way for what could be the most important talks in four years of ethnic war.

Following an hourlong meeting with the foreign ministers of the warring factions Monday, Christopher said marathon negotiations scheduled for today could produce agreement on a basic constitution for a postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina in which Serbs would control about half the territory but would not be allowed to form a separate state.

“There is a real possibility now of moving forward,” Christopher said.

Abandoning his usual caution, Christopher said, “This meeting will be a success if the parties adopt a set of constitutional principles--the connective tissue between the two entities.”

Representing the battling factions today will be Foreign Ministers Muhamed Sacirbey of Bosnia, Mate Granic of Croatia and Milan Milutinovic of the rump Yugoslavia, which represents the interests of the Bosnian Serbs. Christopher plans to attend the start of the meeting, then turn the chair over to U.S. peace envoy Richard Holbrooke--who forged an initial agreement among the parties in Geneva earlier this month--and his counterpart from the European Union, Carl Bildt.

High-level representatives of the other four members of the big-power Contact Group--Britain, France, Russia and Germany--also will participate.

A senior U.S. official said the talks could run well into the night.

Christopher said the parties seem to be nearing agreement on a cease-fire that could lead to the end of Europe’s bloodiest war in half a century.

Christopher summoned the foreign ministers to a hastily arranged meeting Monday after the Bosnian government threatened to pull out of the peace process, accusing the Serbs of trying to renege on promises to preserve Bosnia as a single state within its existing borders.

In addition to meeting with the foreign ministers, Christopher joined Holbrooke in discussing the issue by telephone with the presidents of Bosnia and Serbia, winning their renewed commitment to the peace process.

“I assured them that the U.S. position will be to oppose any effort to undermine the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a single state,” Christopher said.

A senior U.S. official said Serbian authorities acquiesced to the U.S. position, at least for the time being. That was enough to get the Muslim-led but secular Bosnian government back to the table.

At the Geneva meeting Sept. 8, the three factions agreed to divide control of the country, with the government and its Croatian allies getting 51% and the Serbs getting 49%. The proposal called for Bosnia to remain a single country with one internationally recognized government and one seat at the United Nations. But the sides are far apart on how to create such a unique entity.

A senior U.S. official said U.S. and European mediators have drafted a proposed constitution, but the three warring factions are still haggling over almost all of its provisions. After four years of warfare, with atrocities committed by all sides, the mediators’ most difficult task is to overcome mutual hatred and suspicion.

Christopher indicated that he had passed the first hurdle by presiding over a meeting Monday in which the atmosphere was civil and the three foreign ministers agreed that it is time to make peace.

A senior U.S. official said that when Christopher called for a cease-fire, all three agreed that it is time to end the fighting. But, the official added, “All of them also pointed out what the others must do to make a cease-fire possible.”

The official said Christopher urged them to change focus from what the others must do to what each of them could do to reach a settlement.

The official said that after today’s talks, Holbrooke will meet separately with the three factions at the United Nations on Wednesday, then head back to the Balkans on Thursday.

In Washington, President Clinton held a half-hour meeting with his principal foreign policy advisers to discuss the U.S. position for today’s talks, said White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry.

In addition to discussing the diplomatic initiative, the White House meeting considered--but did not resolve--the question of the size and composition of the U.S. contingent in an international force that will police a peace agreement if one is signed.

But the day brought a sharp new challenge from Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), who wrote Clinton complaining that Congress has not been adequately consulted on the peacekeeping force and demanding information on Administration plans.

“There should be no doubts that without the concurrence of the Congress these commitments will not be fulfilled,” Dole wrote. The letter was also signed by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jesse Helms (R-N.C.).

Dole wanted to know what commitments Clinton had made to allies and to the Bosnian government, what role the troops would have, what size forces other nations would contribute, the likely cost of the undertaking and whether there would be a date for withdrawal.

Dole and the nine other Republicans who signed the letter did not say they were opposed to the deployment, only that they needed more information on U.S. plans.

Times staff writer Paul Richter in Washington contributed to this report.