Sarajevo, 30 July 1999 (RFE/RL) - Heads of state and government from more than 30 countries have started to assemble in Sarajevo for today's Balkan Stability Summit. The summit will launch the Balkan Stability Pact, an effort whose goal is to bring peace, democracy, and prosperity to the region. U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright arrived in Sarajevo this morning. Clinton is expected to unveil a five-point package,which includes trade benefits, investment funds, and technical assistance to rebuild the region following the Kosovo conflict.
But Clinton and other leaders have already said Serbia cannot receive financial aid while Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic remains in power. Russian Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin, already in Sarajevo, said it is necessary to help the Serbian population without tying finanical aid to the fate of the Milosevic regime.