Big powers tell milosevic to negotiate
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Foreign ministers of the six-nation Contact Group are expected to warn the Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, against pursuing a bloody crackdown in Kosovo. The powers, meeting in London today, are expected to underline the need for outside mediation but are unlikely to agree on economic sanctions or military intervention.
The meeting marks the first timethe foreign ministers of the US, Britain, France, Germany and Ital and Russia have held an emergency session on former Yugoslavia since the 1995 Dayton peace accords on Bosnia. However, Russia opposes any talk of sanctions, and the Foreign Minister, Yegeny Primakov, is not attending today. Robin Cook, Foreign Secretar, said: "I will want to send a clear message ... that the repression should stop."
Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State, toured Western Europe at the weekend, seeking support for economic and diplomatic measures to press Mr Milosevic to negotiate with moderate leaders of the ethnic Albanian majority on restoring autonomy to Kosovo.
The big powers will press Mr Milosevic to accept a mediation mission by the former Spanish prime minister Felipe Gonzalez on behalf of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Western governments fear the conflict may draw in neighbouring Albania and Macedonia, which has a restive Albanian minority. -
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments