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NATO

Athens Calls Russian Envoy's Initiative 'Positive'

23 April 1999

By Tasos Kokkinides

Greece on Friday described as "positive" the initiative of Russian envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin, who said after talks in Belgrade that he had secured Yugoslavia's agreement to an international presence in war-torn Kosovo. Government spokesman Nikos Athanasakis said also that any international force sent to Kosovo to keep the peace should be armed "in order to ensure normality in the region". Replying to reporters' questions, Athanasakis reiterated that Greece would be willing to participate in a Kosovo peacekeeping force provided the opposing sides agreed to such a force. Athanasakis said Greece was in favour of a withdrawal of Serb forces from Kosovo and the simultaneous cessation of NATO bombing. Chernomyrdin said he had won Yugoslavia's agreement to an "international presence" in Kosovo during a visit to Belgrade on Thursday.

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