U.S. Reportedly Considers Direct Talks With Serbs

NEW YORK —  Secretary of State Warren Christopher has sent a letter to the Muslim-led Bosnian government saying that the United States may begin direct talks with the Bosnian Serbs, the New York Times reported today.

Christopher wrote that direct ties would be contingent on the Serbs abiding by the terms of a New Year’s cease-fire and opening roads out of Sarajevo, the Times reported.

Direct talks with the Serbs would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution barring such contacts.

Christopher said in the letter, sent Thursday to Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, that the cease-fire had created “a possible opportunity to renew the negotiations” with the Serbs that “we should not allow to pass by,” the paper said.

The Times said the letter was part of the Clinton Administration’s attempt to persuade the Bosnian government to be more flexible about what was once a “take-it-or-leave-it” international peace plan for Bosnia-Herzegovina and to stop trying to persuade Washington to break the U.N. arms embargo on Bosnia.

The paper cited unnamed officials as saying, however, that Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic plans to make clear during a visit to Washington next week that he supports legislation that calls for rearming the Bosnian government troops.