UN Peace Mediator Holds Talks with Serbian President in Belgrade

United Nations peace mediator Thorvald Stoltenberg held talks on Monday with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade, discussing the situation in former Yugoslavia and the extension of a UN peacekeepers' mandate in Croatia. Milosevic urged the Croatian government and leaders of the breakaway Serb Krajina region to continue negotiations with assistance from UN peacekeepers. The talks came amid concerns over the possible resumption of hostilities in Croatia and the potential for the conflict to spread across former Yugoslavia.

Key Takeaways:

• Thorvald Stoltenberg, the UN peace mediator, held talks with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic on Monday in Belgrade, focusing on the situation in former Yugoslavia and the extension of a UN peacekeepers' mandate in Croatia.
• Milosevic urged the Croatian government and leaders of the breakaway Serb Krajina region to continue negotiations with assistance from UN peacekeepers, noting the importance of the negotiating process between Knin and Zagreb.
• Croatian President Franjo Tudjman had previously decided to expel UN peacekeepers from Croatia when their mandate expires on March 31, but later agreed to a new mandate under pressure from the United States and other Western allies.
• The new mandate will see a replacement force of about 6,000 peacekeepers, including 500 observers to monitor borders with Bosnia and Serbia, deployed in April.

Statistics:

• The current UN force in Croatia has about 12,000 peacekeepers.
• The new UN peacekeepers' mandate is set to expire on March 31.
• The new force will consist of around 6,000 peacekeepers, including 500 observers.
• The negotiations between Knin and Zagreb have been suspended since January.

Sources:

• Belgrade Telegraph Agency (March 20)
• AP News (March 31)
• UN Press Release (no date)