USA: MADELEINE ALBRIGHT KOSOVO CRISIS PRESS CONFERENCE

Описание: (18 Feb 1999) English/Nat

Dramatising a threat to bomb the Serbs, the Clinton administration is adding 51 U-S warplanes to an already powerful attack force in Europe.

The move is intended to pressurise the Yugoslav government to approve a self-rule plan for Kosovo and accept N-A-T-O peacekeeping troops.

U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reported on Thursday that little progress was being made in the Kosovo peace talks in France.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Today we focused on the situation in Kosovo. Progress at the Rambouillet talks is slow, far too slow. It is clear that if extremists on either side succeed in blocking a settlement, the result will be more death and destruction for the innocent people of Kosovo. And we're particularly concerned by reports that Serb forces on the ground are stopping humanitarian convoys and preparing to stage military exercises. We and our partners in the Contact Group, N-A-T-O, and the O-S-C-E are stressing to Belgrade and the Kosovo Albanians at every opportunity that the agreement on offer at Rambouillet is very much in their interest."
SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State

Albright also said the United States had begun planning for the possible evacuation of U-S embassies.

While she did not say whether American diplomats may be withdrawn, a senior U-S official said Belgrade was an obvious choice for evacuation because the diplomats could not remain during a N-A-T-O bombing campaign.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The foreign minister and I also discussed the very real possibility that if the current stalemate continues the mission will have to be evacuated in advance of NATO airstrikes. The next two days will show whether such action is indeed necessary. I think I can speak for the foreign minister in saying that we are both confident that the mission and NATO are ready for any eventuality."
SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State

Albright declined to say when N-A-T-O might attack, but she made clear that the N-A-T-O threat was a very real one.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The point here about the airstrikes is that I think this is a moment where president Milosevic can understand that either he will see the Kosovo agreement as a way to deal with the issue of Kosovo and the protection of minority rights within a highly autonomous Kosovo or he can decide that he will take his country into a desperate chaotic situation as a result of a very strong NATO response. And I think that he should understand that if airstrikes occur he will be hit hard and he will be deprived of the things that he values. I spoke with him this morning also and I think that he understands this is a key moment in terms of the future of the former Republic of Yugoslavia."
SUPER CAPTION: Madeleine Albright, U-S Secretary of State

Plans also were being made for the possible evacuation of a multinational monitoring group in Kosovo, according to Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Volleback, who appeared at a joint news conference with Albright.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Knut Volleback, Norwegian Foreign Minister

Norway is currently the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

So far, Milosevic has defied the United States and five allied governments who have given him until noon on Saturday to agree to pull most Serb troops out of Kosovo and see them replaced by some 28-thousand N-A-T-O peacekeepers, including about 4-thousand U-S troops.


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