Cook: Balkan mission moves to Croatia

Cook Takes Democracy Message to Croatia

Mr Cook is meeting opposition politicians in the Bosnian city of Banja Luka; he will be making the point that all points of view are of interest, not just those of the people in control at present. He's then giving interveiws to independent local television stations and to a Belgrade radio station which is not government-controlled.

The Foreign Secretary then flies on to the Croatian capital Zagreb, where he again meets opposition leaders, talks to local representatives of international organisations and gives interviews to papers, radio and television.

Only then is he meeting the foreign minister, Marte Granic and, later in the evening, President Tudjman. He will be stress to Croatia's president that the success of the peace process in Bosnia depends on the co-operation of the Zagreb Government. In particular he thinks trade between Bosnia and Croatia should be made easier, with relaxations on border controls as a first step.

Dayton a Priority

He saw opposition representatives in Sarajevo, and then the three members of the Bosnian collective presidency.

In a BBC interview, Mr Cook said the West would keep up pressure until there was progress towards the creation of a truly multi-ethnic state in Bosnia.

Much of his meeting with the Bosnian Serb representative, Mr Kraznic, was spent discussing Britain's insistence that alleged war criminals in the Bosnian Serb republic must be handed over to the international tribunal in the Hague.

Cook: war criminals must be handed over

The meeting was much longer than planned, but Mr Cook seemed to come up against a brick wall in the face of Mr Kraznic.

As the meeting ended and Mr Cook left he exchanged only the briefest of courtesies before Mr Kraznic announced to waiting journalists that Bosnian Serbs do not accept the validity of the indictments. "On the Serb side," he said "We do not believe that Radovan Karadzic is guilty of war crimes."

It is an issue that has dogged the progress of the peace accord, and is one that will not go away. Later, however, Mr Cook reaffirmed his belief that the indictments would result in arrests.

"I think that Mr Karadzic will eventually be brought to trial. I don't believe that the international community can fail to maintain the pressure to ensure that he is brought to trial. There can be no hiding place."

Izetbegovic: Promise to look into corruption claims

While in Sarajevo he also discussed corruption. At the weekend Mr Cook said not all the aid for Bosnia was reaching its intended destinations.

The chairman of the Bosnian presidency, Alija Izetbegovic, asked for evidence and said a commission would be set up to investigate the allegation.

Related sites
External sites are not endorsed by the BBC
Office of the High Representative in Bosnia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
NATO operations in Bosnia