We have been here today and yesterday before the important election that will take place tomorrow and the day after. We had the opportunity of meeting yesterday with all the principals. We had important exchange of views with all of them. I had the opportunity this morning to visit the OSCE Headquarters and had a good report from Ambassador Barry and his team. I would like to congratulate them for the splendid work that they have done in preparing for the elections.

I had the opportunity also to visit the MSU unit, and I would like also to underline the importance of those new units we have here in Sarajevo and the important job that they are doing already. We had the opportunity this morning to meet for the last time the three members Presidency before the elections. It has been, if I may say, a rather emotional moment since the three gentlemen who are the Presidents now - they started Dayton - and it is probably the last time that they may be together with us.

Let me also say that we are very pleased in how things are going on the way to the election that will take place this week. I think that SFOR has done a very good job and I want to congratulate General Shinseki and all the people and the soldiers who have contributed to this good climate for the elections. I would hope that tomorrow and the day after tomorrow the situation will continue to be calm, so that everybody can have the guarantee that they can express their vote freely.

As far as the future is concerned, what I would like to see after the elections is that Bosnia-Herzegovina gets an impetus, a new momentum, that the people who are elected - and I do hope very much - that they will be people committed to look to the future, not to looking to the past, that the country continues facing the problems that still are left to be solved. I think that new institutions should be working in a more efficient manner and also will have to face the problems which are related to the return of refugees. I put great emphasis on the return of refugees because I do think that

without a fair solution for the return of refugees the reconciliation of this country will be difficult.

But anyway, I think it has been a very useful visit, and as I said to, the three members of the Presidency, I do hope that the results of this election will be positive for the future of this country.

Let me tell you that first we need to know the results of the elections, implementation of the results and then we have two important events before taking the decision in a precise manner your question. One will be the big meeting which will take place in December as you know. The Peace Implementation Meeting. And then they will have to do our six-month review, that will take place, also around December. So I would not be able to commit myself now on what may be the conclusion after those two important evaluations that we have to do, one on the civilian aspect and the other on the military side.

I do hope the election will be a success, that the country will move forward and therefore, that eventually we will have the possibility of beginning some kind of drawdown.

I do hope that after the elections the issues of the return of refugees will take full momentum. That is what I said and that is what I mentioned to the three members of the Presidency today. I don't know if they will be the three who will be after the elections, this is for the people, after their vote. But I do think that the question of the return of refugees would be a priority right after the new institutions are established.

The return of refugees is going at a very slow pace. If that is the (trend) that we have, that the international community has, and I think after these elections we should put altogether, and they have to put more return more emphasis on the return of refugees.

The question is when do I think, what do we think, - that Bosnia will be ready to join PFP, Partnership for Peace. Well, I think we are still some way away from that moment. A lot of things have to take place and this is something that the members of the Presidency do know, that they have to produce many more results before thay can be part of a program, PFP, that requires a certain structure, political structure of the country. We are still far from that moment.

I think the Kosovo crisis will have a very little influence on the elections in Bosnia.

My position is that if the international community decides to implement a peace fire or peace agreement in Kosovo, we will have enough resources to face Bosnia - to continue (to be) committed to Bosnia - to start being committed to Kosovo. So I don't think that should be a big concern. We will be able to do it if the international community decides that this is to be done.

Let me also congratulate General Shinseki and the soldiers of SFOR. They have done an absolutely superb job in assisting the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in preparation for the elections. Their effort is very, very evident and it is very much appreciated and we have heard from all of the members of the international community and the members of the Tri-Presidency.

First, let me say that SFOR has worked very diligently to lay a foundation for the improved security climate.

SFOR, we have worked very hard. We have done the full analysis of the circumstances of any possible threats and so we have laid a very good foundation to help assure this climate. So, I would not say that the work is easier, I should say we have done a very, very fine job in SFOR in handling the circumstances, but what I think has changed is the climate in this country. I think that people are increasingly aware that peace is here and going to be maintained. They are much more accustomed to electioneering and so it is just a much smoother process.

I was in Slovenia on Monday and Tuesday.

We have completed training for a platoon of Slovenian soldiers to join the Multi-National Specialized Unit. That is going through the parliamentary approval process, or (is) scheduled to do shortly in Slovenia. And so, we are very hopeful that we will have that platoon participating with us by the end of the month. We are under discussion with a number of other We are very well aware of where there are tensions in Bosnia associated with certain local politicians or certain local issues. We know what these areas are. We have a system for following the progress and resolving these issues, and we are there to assure the people of Bosnia that there is not going to be trouble. I think General Shinseki and the entire SFOR team have done a very good job of following through on this.

(Transcript: Special Press Conference 14. Sept. 1998)