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U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James P. Rubin, Spokesman
March 8, 1999

Ambassador Holbrooke Travel to Belgrade

Secretary of State Albright has asked Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to travel to Belgrade to advance the search for a political settlement to the crisis in Kosovo. Ambassador Holbrooke has accepted the Secretary's request and will be in Belgrade Wednesday for meetings. His trip will support the negotiating efforts of the U.S. envoy for Kosovo, Ambassador Chris Hill, and his Contact Group colleagues Ambassadors Boris Mayorskiy and Wolfgang Petritsch.

Ambassador Holbrooke will convey to the authorities in Belgrade the necessity for full compliance with all of their commitments to the international community, and for maximum restraint in the period leading up to the March 15 conference in France. Ambassador Holbrooke will press the FRY and Serbian leadership to accept the Rambouillet Accords, including both their political and civilian and military implementation elements, when he visits Belgrade.

Ambassador Holbrooke's trip comes following the decision today by the General Staff of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to approve the Rambouillet Accords and authorize their signature. Senator Bob Dole spoke Monday with a representative of the KLA General Staff following up on his earlier discussions during his trip to Skopje. Senator Dole welcomed the KLA's decision to approve the Rambouillet Accords and urged their designees to sign them immediately.

"With a 'yes' from the Kosovo Albanians, the pressure will build on Milosevic," Dole said. "I support a trip by Dick Holbrooke to Belgrade to deliver an unequivocal and clear message that Milosevic must halt his aggression and sign the Rambouillet Accords. Over the last few days Dick Holbrooke and I have been in close contact about developments in Kosovo and my recent trip to Macedonia. I've known Dick Holbrooke for many years and know that he can deliver this strong message."

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