February 27, 1996
Web posted at: 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT)
PALE, Bosnia-Herzegovina (CNN) -- The United Nations Security Council suspended 18-month-old sanctions against Bosnian Serbs Tuesday after NATO certified that the Bosnian Serbs had withdrawn their forces from buffer zones established under the Dayton peace plan.
Security Council president Madeleine Albright of the United States said the Bosnian Serbs had met all conditions necessary for sanctions to be suspended.
Nikola Koljevic, the No. 2 man in the Bosnian Serb hierarchy, called the move "important for the strengthening of peace."
The sanctions, imposed after the Bosnian Serbs rejected an earlier peace plan, prohibited trade with any company owned or controlled by Bosnian Serb forces, froze Bosnian Serb financial assets abroad, and banned key Bosnian Serb officials from traveling abroad.
Senior NATO spokesman Brig. Gen. Andrew Cumming said any new defiance would lead to the resumption of sanctions.
AP contributed to this report.
Copyright © 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive