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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Kosovo Ethnic Albanians Sign Autonomy Plan Amid Stalled Peace Talks

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A low-key ceremony Thursday marked the signing of a Western autonomy plan for Kosovo, despite Yugoslav representatives' boycott in opposition. The move comes as NATO threatens airstrikes against Yugoslavia, with the Clinton administration issuing warnings of a one-week deadline for President Slobodan Milosevic to accept the plan. The 82-page document grants Kosovo considerable autonomy but not independence from Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic. The year-long war between ethnic Albanian guerrillas and Yugoslav forces has resulted in over 1,500 lives lost.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Kosovo ethnic Albanians signed a Western autonomy plan for Kosovo at a low-key ceremony on Thursday.
  • The plan grants Kosovo considerable autonomy but not independence from Serbia, with a 28,000-strong NATO-commanded military pacification force in Kosovo for a three-year period.
  • The Yugoslav-Serb delegation refused to accept the plan, demanding several revisions and calling the negotiations "a fraud."
  • The signing ceremony was made possible after a last-minute agreement by the Kosovo delegates to accept the plan, despite Russian envoy Boris Mayorky's opposition.
  • Serbian President Milan Milutinovic remains defiant, stating that Yugoslavia is prepared to fight if NATO launches airstrikes and defends the country.
  • The autonomy plan was hammered out during 17 days of negotiations at Rambouillet castle, near Paris, last month.
  • Western diplomats expect an end to the peace talks, followed by a one-week deadline for President Slobodan Milosevic to accept the plan.

Statistics:

  • 1,500: The estimated number of lives lost in the year-long war between ethnic Albanian guerrillas and Yugoslav forces in Kosovo.
  • 28,000: The proposed size of the NATO-commanded military pacification force in Kosovo for a three-year period.
  • 17: The number of days it took the Western mediators to negotiate the autonomy plan at Rambouillet castle.
  • 82: The number of pages in the autonomy plan document.

Sources:

  • "Yugoslav Representatives Boycott as Kosovo Albanians Sign Autonomy Plan" by Charles Trueheart, The Washington Post.
  • "Clinton Administration Threatens Airstrikes Against Yugoslavia" (no specific date mentioned).
  • State Department spokesman James Rubin's statement at a press conference.

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