[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 180 (Tuesday, November 14, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17011-S17012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        WELCOMING CROATIAN-SERBIAN AGREEMENT ON EASTERN SLAVONIA

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, finally, there is good news from former 
Yugoslavia. On Sunday in Croatia, Croatian leaders and rebel Serbs 
signed an agreement ending the territorial conflict over Eastern 
Slavonia, the last part of Croatia still occupied by Serbs. As late as 
last week, Croatian Government officials, including President Tudjman, 
were threatening to retake the territory by force. I am pleased that 
Croatia has recognized the folly of carrying out those threats, and has 
opted instead for a diplomatic solution.
  There are still serious questions about this agreement that need to 
be answered. For example: Who will participate in the transitional 
administration to be established by the United Nations to govern the 
region? Will there be separate military and civilian administrations? 
How does this agreement relate to the continuing negotiations on 
Bosnia? What, if anything, does Serbia get in return for its agreeing 
to this accord?
  Despite these and other questions, this much is clear: The agreement 
will avert a military confrontation between Croatia and Serbia over 
Eastern Slavonia, and together with last week's agreement on the 
Federation, offer needed momentum to the Dayton negotiations.
  Our Ambassador to Croatia, Peter Galbraith and U.N. Envoy Thorvald 

[[Page S 17012]]
  Stoltenberg deserve a great deal of credit for their work in bringing 
the parties to and keeping them at the table.

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