DATE=3/8/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ALBRIGHT / BOSNIA (L-ONITER)
NUMBER=2-259992
BYLINE=KYLE KING
DATELINE=SARAJEVO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
/// EDS: SECRETARY ALBRIGHT VISITS BANJA LUKA THURSDAY
THEN LEAVES BOSNIA FOR BRUSSELS AT ABOUT 1500 UTC ///
INTRO: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is
wrapping up (has wrapped up) her visit to Bosnia-
Herzegovina, where she hailed recent efforts to
increase cooperation between Muslims, Croats and Serbs
and urged the Sarajevo government to move more quickly
on reforms. V-O-A's Kyle King is traveling with the
Secretary and files this report.
TEXT: Secretary of State Albright says next month's
municipal elections in Bosnia can be a key step toward
the goal of a multi-ethnic society.
The Secretary, who scheduled talks with Bosnian Serb,
Muslim and Croat officials during her two-day visit,
also met with key opposition leaders from the ethnic
communities.
During a news conference in Sarajevo late Wednesday,
Ms. Albright said it was up to elected authorities to
improve the country's prospects by cracking down on
corruption and acting on fundamental economic reforms.
/// ALBRIGHT ACT ///
It's no secret that there remains too much state
control in Bosnia, and too much abuse of
official firms and offices by political parties.
Continued failure to reform will lead to
continued hardships for the people here,
continued reluctance on the part of outsiders to
invest and continued delays in developing
Bosnia's economy.
/// END ACT ///
Analysts say that despite a flood of international aid
to the country, almost nothing has been done to reform
a system that allows political leaders to remain in
power by heaping favors on their supporters.
During her visit, Ms. Albright hailed the progress
that has been made by the international community in
the bitterly-contested northern city of Brcko, where a
new governing system was installed on Wednesday.
The Secretary cited the creation of a multi-ethnic
government in Brcko as an example for the rest of the
country and the region.
She said it was up to local officials to adhere to the
new governing statute in the once-Serb-held town,
which has been ruled by an international supervisor
since the war ended in 1995.
During her visit, the Secretary announced the United
States would supply two-million dollars to help
convert military facilities in Brcko to civilian uses.
She also signed an agreement with Bosnian and Croatian
officials designed to ensure that all requests for
military assistance are channeled through the Bosnian
government.
Five years after the end of Bosnia's bloody, three-
year war, relations between the country's Serb
Republic and its Muslim-Croat Federation remain
strained. Western officials are hoping next month's
municipal elections will help loosen the grip of
nationalist parties that continue to dominate the
political system.
The final stop on Ms. Albright's 10-day European tour
will be Brussels, where she will meet with NATO
Secretary-General George Robertson and European Union
officials, for talks likely to focus on Kosovo.
(Signed)
NEB/KBK/WTW
08-Mar-2000 17:08 PM EDT (08-Mar-2000 2208 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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