BOSNIA: RUSSIAN POLITICIAN VLADIMIR ZHIRINOVSKY VISIT

(22 Oct 1995) Serbo-Croat/Rus/Nat The right wing Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky has called for a “Greater Serbia“ after talks with the Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. The ultra-nationalist was speaking after a three-day visit during which he crossed from Serbia into Bosnian-Serb held territory in Bosnia Herzegovina. He added that he expected his country’s sanctions against the former Yugoslavia will soon be lifted. The venue for the talks between the Bosnian Serb leader and the head of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party was Bosnia’s border town of Zvornik, which is held by rebel Serbs. Also taking part in Saturday night’s meeting was Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj, who has been accompanying Zhirinovsky on his three day tour of Serbia. The Russian Vladimir Zhirinovsky told the Serbs he had one thing in mind, the creation of “Greater Serbia“. The leaders discussed maintaining peace in the former Yugoslavia and Russia’s stance on the proposed NATO led peacekeeping force for Bosnia. Speaking to reporters later, Zhirinovsky said he hoped the week-old ceasefire would last 200 years - and that Russia’s parliament would be lifting sanctions soon. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Approximate translation: ’The Russian Parliament has already voted three times in favour of the unilateral lifting of sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia’ SUPER CAPTION: Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian Liberal Democratic Party. At the same time Radovan Karadzic gave his backing to a plan to open liaison offices in the capitals of Bosnia and Yugoslavia. SOUNDBITE: (Serbian) ’It can do no harm.’ NB: In same soundbite he was then asked by a reporter about the ceasefire to which he says: ’The ceasefire is much better today than yesterday’ SUPER CAPTION: Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian Serb Leader. Pre-scheduled rallies of support for the leaders were banned by local authorities in Serbia who were worried the crowds would threaten public safety. Even a walkabout by Zhirinovsky and Serbian right winger Seselj in Novi Sad in northern Serbia was interrupted by heavy police security. The crowd of more than a thousand supporters was forced to disband. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: