Holbrooke Remarks in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Refugee Return Site
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
October 26, 2000
REMARKS BY UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS RICHARD
HOLBROOKE
AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE: Well, I'm back in Mostar again as I was last
year and I am pleased to have heard from the Mayor and the new Deputy
Major of the progress that's been made in the last year and a half.
I can see the signs of progress. You can all see them here with these
great people who are re-building their houses. You can see the first
signs of the effort to bring Mostar back to life. No city was broken
more than this one in Europe in recent years. It's a great city and it
needs to come back to its former greatness. This will take two things:
the determination and will of the people and outside assistance.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the City Council have spoken of the
determination of the people. As for the outside help, this needs to
come from two sources - the international community and the central
government and the Federation government in Sarajevo. The
international community and especially the European Union has made
major efforts in Mostar. I think it's time for the High
Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, to assist Mostar more directly by
making sure that some of the revenues from the electrical company are
used here directly in Mostar to help the budget of the city. Later
today Mr. Petritsch will be in New York speaking at the Security
Council. While he's in New York, I chose to be here with you in
Mostar. But I will instruct my Deputy Ambassador in New York to report
to the Security Council today on what we are seeing in Mostar - the
signs and sounds of progress which we can hear behind you and the need
to do more.
As for the central government and Federation, I would hope that we
could revive a plan and agreement I had already five years ago at
Dayton and that is to move the Federation capital of Sarajevo to
Mostar. The clearest way to differentiate between the Federation
government and the central government is to move this Federation
government out of Sarajevo, and Mostar is the right city.
Finally, I want to say a word about the criminals that still try to
plunge Mostar backwards into darkness. Everyone in this city knows who
they are. Everyone knows what's going on here. But their day is
numbered and the people of Mostar will continue to support the Mayor
and Deputy Mayor and the City Council in their efforts to bring
openness and honesty and multi-ethnic progress to this city.
In three weeks, there will be very important elections in
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Outsiders and foreigners should not interfere in
the people's choice in a free democracy. But I do want to say clearly
that certain parties represent the past and certain parties represent
racial and ethnic division and hatred and criminal elements and
ultra-nationalism and extremism. I hope that the good people of Mostar
and Bosnia do not support these extremists and racists. There is
nothing wrong with nationalism but ultra-nationalism, extremism,
another form of racism, destroyed this country and this great city
once and it should not be allowed to do it again. Last night in Skopje
I spent two and a half hours with President Kostunica. He stressed his
personal commitment to the Dayton Agreements and to moderate
nationalism, not extremism.
It's a major historical event that Slobodan Milosevic is gone. The
arsonist of the Balkans is gone and has been replaced with the
properly chosen, popular leader for Yugoslavia. Similarly, the new
leadership in Zagreb is democratic and open. But Bosnia remains torn
between forces of progress and forces of extreme nationalism. Bosnia
is, in fact, the last country in Europe where these ultra-extremist
forces still have a political base. The choice on November 11th is
historically important to all the people of Bosnia: Serbs, Croats and
Bosniaks alike. So, the world will be watching on November 11th and we
will hope and pray that it will be another step forward towards
restoring this city to the greatness that it had until recently. Thank
you.
QUESTION: Mr. Holbrooke, my name is (inaudible). Please, I have two
questions for you. First of all, why did you come to Mostar,
specifically why this place? And second one, I want to ask you about
the eighteenth of November Dayton meeting and I want to ask you if
this meeting is supposed to result with a document that will be
binding countries with specific talks. Thank you.
AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE: Well, first of all on your first question, I
came to Mostar because I almost always come to Mostar in all trips to
Bosnia. No city in Bosnia was torn apart more. No struggle, no
fighting was more senseless and stupid and I come here to encourage
the people for trying to overcome that terrible legacy. Herzegovina
has plenty of other places that suffered, but Mostar is the obvious
symbol.
As for the Dayton meeting, this is the fifth anniversary of the Dayton
Peace Agreements and many of us will go there for ceremonies organized
by the University of Dayton. There'll be - there're no present plans
to negotiate any new agreements during this trip.
QUESTION: Yes, I would like to know of Ambassador Holbrooke, all
officials that signed the Dayton Peace Accord or that are going to
leave their position like Mr. Clinton. What of Mr. Bush on this
election in the United States and how that could equalize the
situation, and also are they going to be the Dayton too?
AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE: Well, I don't want to bring the American
presidential campaign to Mostar. It's too close in the United States
and it would be inappropriate for me to do that overseas. But, I think
that the American commitment to NATO and to implementing the Dayton
Peace Agreements is a critical component of our own American national
interests, and I am hopeful it will continue regardless of the outcome
of the election.
QUESTION: (Inaudible)
AMBASSADOR HOLBROOKE: When I was in Mostar last year I was very clear
on this. I meant, I specifically referred to the radicals and the
S.D.S., and nothing has caused me to change my view. The radicals have
now been banned. I continue to be of the view that the S.D.S. is in
open violation of the Dayton Peace Agreements and that its leadership
is committed to destroying the very thing that they have signed. And
they are still trying to divide this country, and I consider their
behavior in violation of the Agreements.
But, this is a free and democratic country now and the people can vote
for whoever they want, but the S.D.S. actions are against the
interests of peace in this country. And, they hold this country back
from becoming a full-fledged member of the larger European family of
nations which even Serbia is now about to do.
I know that what happened in Belgrade last month seems far away from
the people of Mostar but let - let no one misunderstand the
importance of the end of the eleven years of Slobodan Milosevic. The
silent partner of the extremists is gone. The moderate, democratic
leader is now the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. I
hope that the people of Bosnia will understand what a historic
opportunity that is for them as well.
The external support for the extremists and for the forces of
separatism is beginning to dry up from both Belgrade and Zagreb. This
is a great opportunity for the people of Bosnia. The extremists can
fall back on only one fate: criminal activities to protect themselves.
The people of Bosnia have a chance to move themselves into the
forefront of democracy in Europe and to become a leading nation among
the European community of nations.
This will also affect the amount of foreign assistance that goes to
each of the countries in the Balkans. So, I hope that the people of
Bosnia-Herzegovina - when they vote - take into account the historic
nature of the vote coming up. It's a choice between the past and the
future. Thank you very much.
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