(21 May 1999) English/Nat
Russia's mediation efforts for Kosovo appeared to hit a snag when Moscow's top envoy for the conflict abruptly cancelled meetings with foreign officials on Friday, after days of talks produced no major progress.
Viktor Chernomyrdin called-off talks with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and the United Nations' Carl Bildt, who both arrived in Moscow on Friday to discuss Kosovo.
Chernomyrdin also ignored a special parliamentary session on the Yugoslav province.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, however, did hold a series of meetings with the two men and U-S negotiator Strobe Talbott.
After the talks, Ivanov announced that disagreements remain over the presence of international security forces in Yugoslavia as well as over the conditions of a Serbian troop pullout from Kosovo.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov says major hurdles still stand in the way of negotiating a peace agreement for the Kosovo crisis.
He named the key points that remain to be resolved after meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Papandreou and U-N envoy Carl Bildt.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"The disagreements remain. The most obvious ones are the composition of the future international security forces in Kosovo as well as conditions of pullout of Serbian Army and police from Kosovo."
SUPER CAPTION: Igor Ivanov, Russian Foreign Minister
Papandreou stressed a key proposal of the Greek government - a 48-hour halt in airstrikes to find a diplomatic solution.
Although a member of NATO, Greece has opposed the bombing of Yugoslavia.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"When we get close to reaching a final solution a ceasefire could be very useful for to allow for diplomatic efforts to come to fruition, to be realized and get the Yugoslav government to accept the points, the prerequisites."
SUPER CAPTION: Georgios Papandreou, Greek Foreign Minister
U-N envoy Carl Bildt also said that even though the situation will be sorted out, serious difficulties remain.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I don't see any breakthroughs, I don't see any breakdowns. It's a process going on and difficult questions remain, everyone will continue to work. Of course there are ways to do it, the question is will it be done."
SUPER CAPTION: Carl Bildt, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Secretary on Yugoslavia
Bildt and Papandreou had been scheduled to meet with Russian Special Envoy Victor Chernomyrdin on Friday, but the meeting was cancelled without explanation.
Papandreou said that they had nonetheless made some progress in talks with Ivanov.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, first of all I think there is a basic agreement on basic points. I think this is a positive aspect. Also there is obvious movement on the diplomatic front and movement even from the Yugoslav side."
SUPER CAPTION: Georgios Papandreou, Greek Foreign Minister
Earlier Friday, U-S Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott met with Ivanov as well.
He said that their negotiations had been very profitable.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I think that my talks here in Moscow this time have been sufficiently constructive and serious to justify my coming back yet again next week. I will be back next week, President Ahtisaari will be back next week, so obviously we and Viktor Stepanovich (Chernomyrdin) feel there is a process worth continuing."
SUPER CAPTION: Strobe Talbott, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Talbott has also held meetings with Russia's special Balkans negotiator Viktor Chernomyrdin and Finnish President Ahtisaari.
They held hearings on the conflict on Friday.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
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