Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia
D19
Following the action yesterday by the Reserve Bank of Australia, the suspension
of all sanctions against the Bosnian Serb party is now given full effect
through the operation of Australian laws.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1022 of November 1995 expressly
provided that sanctions should continue to be implemented against the Bosnian
Serb party and should not be suspended until the day after the Commander
of the International Force reported to the Security Council that all Bosnian
Serb forces had withdrawn behind the zones of separation established in
the Dayton Peace Agreement.
In a letter dated 26 February 1996 the NATO Secretary-General confirmed
the UN Secretary-General that Bosnian Serb forces had withdrawn from the
zones of separation established under the Peace Agreement. On 27 February
1996 the Security Council announced that as a result of all conditions having
been met for the suspension of sanctions against the Bosnian Serb party
those sanctions had been suspended.
The suspension of sanctions against the Bosnian Serb party follows the suspension
of sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)
- the FRY and Croatia in late 1995.
United Nations sanctions imposed as a result of the conflict in the former
Yugoslavia will only be formally terminated 10 days after the holding of
the first free and fair elections in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.