Presevo peace plan receives cautious welcome

By CNN's Brussels bureau chief Patricia Kelly

BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) -- The delegation from Belgrade came armed with a detailed plan -- 63 pages and a PowerPoint demonstration complete with maps and graphics -- they believe will end the spiral of violence in southern Serbia.

The Presevo Valley next to the Kosovo province in southern Serbia is the scene of increasingly violent clashes between ethnic Albanian extremists and Serb security forces.

An estimated 1,600 armed guerillas from the self-styled Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac (UCPMB) are operating inside a five kilometre wide ground safety zone (GSZ) dividing Kosovo, which is patrolled by NATO-led forces, and Serbia's Presevo Valley.

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The buffer zone is off limits to both NATO and Serb security forces, but is being used by the UCPMB as cover to attack Serb military and police located on the Presevo side.

The Serb plan calls for a reduction and eventual elimination of the GSZ, claiming its original purpose -- to separate NATO and Serb security forces -- is no longer necessary now there is a new reformist government in Belgrade.

NATO officials believe it is too early to shrink the zone, although NATO secretary general George Robertson said the alliance was prepared to consider changes.

"NATO is prepared to consider such changes if it will not create a vacuum or lead to new fighting, and is part of a settlement to the problems in the region," said Robertson, adding: "Premature changes, however, carry the risk of only making matters worse."

One of the proposals put forward by the Serbs to demilitarise at least part of the conflict zone within 120 days is deemed over-optimistic by NATO.

Robertson said: "The problems caused over 40 years cannot be solved in four months." He described the proposals as "complex" and went on to say they would require a "great deal of study."

But Robertson pledged that NATO "will continue with its efforts to cut off the supply of people and arms into the ground safety zone."

The meeting at NATO headquarters on Thursday was restricted to the secretary general and NATO nation ambassadors. The Belgrade delegation was led by the peace plan's architect, Serbia's deputy prime minister Nebojsa Covic.

A senior NATO official said the ambassadors were also encouraged by the presence of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's foreign minister Goran Svilanovic.

"It was reassuring to see there is no daylight between the presidencies of Serbia and the FRY," commented the official.

"The Belgrade delegation came across as sincere and anxious to find common ground with NATO in an attempt to weaken the political base of the extremists which is in the interests of us all."

Robertson: Plans need "great deal of study"

The peace plan envisages a pilot project to remove both extremists and Serb security forces from two villages on the Presevo side of the GSZ -- Lucane and Viliki Trnovac -- to allow locals who have fled the region to return home.

"For the sake of the people in the region is it necessary to do all this gradually and without any haste," said Covic.

His plan allows up to three years for the full reintegration of ethnic Albanians into the mainstream of Serbia life. NATO says it is important that Serbia start now.

"A start could be made by removing from southern Serbia the Pristina Corps and those military forces who were involved in the operations in Kosovo in 1998 and 1999. The presence of those who have previously been involved in ethnic cleansing is a clear obstacle to peaceful reconciliation," said Robertson.

Covic said the new government's reforms do allow for the replacement of commanding officers. He claimed the military operating in Presevo are "different soldiers" and said the presence of Serb military could "not be an excuse for not complying with a peaceful resolution to the crisis."

Belgrade is refusing to consider ethnic Albanian demands for autonomy in the Presevo valley, a refusal NATO says it fully supports.

"There will be no change of borders, no special status or autonomy," said Covic. "Together -- all of us -- the Albanians, the Serbs, must build our own country."

Fears of violence spreading

NATO's cautious welcome to the Serbian peace plan was tempered with a warning to Belgrade not to attempt to solve the conflict with a military crackdown.

The FRY foreign minister claims there is little time left to prevent violence in the Presevo Valley spreading further in the region and the plan hints that Yugoslavia will have no option but to resort to "anti-terrorist" action if peaceful solution is not quickly negotiated.

Although the peace plan has been published in Serb newspapers, the NATO translation of the original Serb language into English was quickly classified "NATO confidential."

NATO is Belgrade's first port of call. The government is all attempting to enlist support from the European Union as well as other international organisation such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

A statement issued by European Commissioner Chris Patten, currently in Moscow, said he welcomed "the thrust of the plan."

Patten announced an additional 900 thousand euro contribution under the European Commission's 240 million euro support programme for Serbia in 2001.

The money will be divided between 24 projects in Presevo, Bojanovac, Medvedja and Kursumlija, including the reconstruction of six primary schools and furniture supplies, garbage trucks and improvements to water supplies.

"We very much share the desire of the Yugoslav and Serbian authorities to tackle the problems in the Presevo valley, and in particular to address some of their long term causes," said the Patten statement.

The Belgrade delegation was due to meet EU security chief Javier Solana on Thursday evening.

Peace proposals for Kosovo buffer zone
February 15, 2001
Tensions rise in Kosovo border-zone
February 6, 2001
Troops clash with ethnic Albanians
February 1, 2001
NATO acts on Albanian extremists
February 1, 2001
Serbs 'set deadline over Kosovo border'
December 29, 2000

NATO
Serbia Information Ministry
KFOR
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

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