Online NewsHour: A German Peace Proposal -- April 14, 1999



	A PEACE PROPOSAL

April 14, 1999
		Leaders of the European Union met Wednesday to discuss the ongoing strikes against Yugoslavia and to explore a possible diplomatic end to the conflict.

Crisis in Kosovo Index.

March 26, 1999:
National Security Adviser Berger

March 25, 1999:
Defense Secretary Cohen

March 25, 1999:
Who is Milosevic?

March 24, 1999:
Comparing military capabilities.

NATO

US State Department

Serbian Ministry of Information

Under a new German proposal, NATO would stop airstrikes for 24 hours to allow Yugoslav military and police units to leave Kosovo. Once all Yugoslav units have left the region and the Serb government has accepted a United Nations-led peace keeping mission in the disputed territory, all NATO military actions would be ended.

NATO, which has demanded that it run the peacekeeping operation, called the proposal "useful" but has not officially responded.

"[The German proposal] is a very useful effort and a necessary effort to begin reflection ... as to how we are going to handle the diplomacy of the end game," said NATO spokesman Jamie Shea. "But it's simply at the moment what you might call a 'food-for-thought' paper."

Although German officials say the proposal has "broad international support", they admit that Russia, one of the strongest critics of NATO strikes and an historic ally of the Serbs, is pivotal to making the plan work. The German Chancellor said Russia has agreed to much of the plan and can play a key role in resolving the conflict.

"We welcome the Russian efforts in the crisis to bring a positive influence to bear on the government of Belgrade," Gerhard Schroeder told a meeting of the European Parliament Wednesday. "I'm firmly convinced that Russia will act as a stabilizing factor in Europe."

The European foreign ministers were joined by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss possible diplomatic ways of ending the strikes.

In Washington, the U.S. government has given the proposal a mixed reception.

"Before we even have that conversation [about stopping airstrikes], we have to have complete acceptance on the other issues, and we will address a potential cessation of bombing when we get there," White House spokesman Joe Lockhart told reporters Wednesday.