(24 May 1999) Russian/Eng/Nat
Russia's Kosovo envoy has reported a breakthrough in talks with Western officials, regarding the Balkan conflict.
Viktor Chernomyrdin on Monday said he had persuaded NATO countries to allow Yugoslavia to leave some troops in Kosovo as part of a potential peace agreement.
The Russian envoy has held talks with U-S, Finnish and Indian officials over the past week - although none of them has said anything about the reported agreement.
Kosovo envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin on Monday continued his talks on the Yugoslav conflict, this time hosting Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh in Moscow.
Russia has tried to form a three-way axis with China and India in recent months, in an attempt to counterbalance what Moscow sees as the predominance of the U-S in world affairs.
After NATO rockets hit the Chinese embassy in Belgrade earlier this month, Chernomyrdin travelled to Beijing to try to get the Chinese leadership on board Russia's peace wagon.
And now another mission to Belgrade is in the offing.
Chernomyrdin looks set to visit the Yugoslav capital on Thursday with Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
He is scheduled to discuss his latest proposals which would allow Yugoslavia to leave some troops in Kosovo as part of a potential peace agreement.
After meetings Foreign Minister Singh, Chernomyrdin said that the continued NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was hindering diplomatic progress.
SOUNDBITE(Russian)
"It is difficult to conduct negotiations when there is massive bombing going on, when rocket strikes are being carried out. We should bear in mind that stretched to breaking point at the moment. It can't carry on like this, probably. Decisions have to be made."
SUPERCAPTION: Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian Balkan Envoy
Across Moscow, Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov - one of the sharpest critics of the NATO campaign - held talks with his Guatemalan counterpart Eduardo Stein.
Ivanov reacted to some Western media reports that NATO was now concentrating its efforts on trying to wear down the Milosevic regime and replace him with a leadership more acceptable for the West.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"If we really want peace in the Balkans, then we have to deal seriously with negotiations, not discussions about who will be in power, who will lose power, who will change their position. We have to deal seriously with negotiations, which is what Russia is constantly urging its partners to do."
SUPER CAPTION: Igor Ivanov, Russian Foreign Minister
Condemnation of Operation Allied Force also came from the head of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Patriarch Alexi II led a procession through Moscow on Monday to mark the day of the founding of the Russian alphabet, traditionally a major Slav holiday.
Alexi, who himself carried out a peace mission to Belgrade during the first weeks of the NATO airstrikes, told worshippers the Slavic brothers of Russians, the Serbs, were living through "a new tragedy".
He added: "An evil will has divided people, put them on different sides of a bloody conflict that may lead to a new of Europe and the world."
The patriarch's words were echoed by his congregation.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"Have a look at what's lurking behind the war unleashed in Yugoslavia. We are standing on the edge. At any moment it could turn into the Third World War."
SUPERCAPTION: Father Aleksandr, Russian Orthodox priest
On Tuesday, the diplomatic push continues in Moscow when US deputy secretary of state Strobe Talbott arrives in Russia to continue talks with Chernomyrdin.
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