Statement on the Decision To End Airstrikes in Bosnia

The U.N. and NATO commanders are in agreement that the Serbs have completed the required withdrawal of heavy weapons from the exclusion zone. The Sarajevo airport has been opened. U.N. and humanitarian traffic is moving along the main routes into the city. Therefore, the commanders have concluded that the NATO airstrikes can be discontinued. I welcome this development. The NATO air campaign in Bosnia was successful.

But let me also repeat what I have said before: Renewed attacks on Sarajevo or the other safe areas, or any Serb noncompliance with their other commitments, will trigger a resumption of NATO airstrikes.

The results of NATO's and the U.N.'s actions will help us achieve a peaceful settlement in Bosnia. They show, once again, that firmness pays off. We all are proud of the American and allied air crews who conducted the NATO operation with such bravery and skill.

All parties should now turn from the battlefield to the bargaining table and complete a political settlement. Ambassador Holbrooke and his team have made additional progress since the Geneva meeting 12 days ago. The time has come to end the fighting for good and begin the task of reconciliation and reconstruction in the Balkans.