USA: STATE DEPARTMENT KOSOVO CRISIS PRESS BRIEFING
(28 Jan 1999) English/Nat As fresh fighting erupts in Kosovo, the United States has said it will support every effort to get the stalled peace process back on track. Washington says a major priority is completing an investigation into the Racak massacre where 45 ethnic Albanians were killed. Members of NATO have added their support to NATO's secretary-general Javier Solana's warning the warring parties in Kosovo must begin negotiating peace immediately or face allied military action. Support has also been forthcoming from Washington. The U-S says an investigation into the recent massacre of 45 ethnic Albanians in Racak also needs to be completed so the perpetrators can be brought to justice. SOUNDBITE: (English) "What we are seeking and what both the contact group last Friday and NATO today have endorsed is an international investigation under the ICTY (International Crimes Tribunal for Yugoslavia) with the full cooperation of the Serb, the FRY (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) authorities. And we have called on them to bring to justice those who are deemed responsible for the massacre. But I am not here to prejudge the outcome of that investigation." SUPER CAPTION: James Foley, State Department Spokesman State Department Spokesman James Foley offered U-S backing to NATO efforts to ensure Serb compliance with the agreements set out by negotiator Richard Holbrooke. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We expect NATO and the Contact Group to work in parallel over the next few days to develop a coordinated series of political and military measures which seek to bring the Serbian and FRY Authorities into compliance with their international commitments and move both sides towards acceptance of political settlement for Kosovo." SUPER CAPTION: James Foley, State Department Spokesman Foreign ministers of the six-nation Contact Group will meet in London on Friday to persuade the parties to enter intense negotiations as soon as possible. The negotiations would be aimed at pressing the two sides to accept a U-S plan providing for expanded self-rule for the majority ethnic Albanian province. Kosovo is a province of Yugoslavia's main republic Serbia. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
