Mr. Speaker, last night the Prime Minister said on behalf of the G-7 leaders that the only way out of this very difficult situation is to reopen negotiations for the parties to come to some kind of an agreement.
The international community has protested very strongly the actions that have gone on with the hostage taking and also with the build-up of the forces of the Bosnian federation. This matter is of grave concern and will be the subject of discussion throughout the day.
With respect to what we can do at the moment, given the fact that our people are there not as belligerents but as peacekeepers, we are concerned that they take all precautions at the base in Visoko to minimize any damage should any artillery or any other type of shelling occur. It is to that end that extra fortifications have been erected and precautions have been taken by the commander, Colonel Redburn.
I am pretty confident that the people in Visoko, although we do not accept the situation at all, will be fine and are not in any immediate danger. I continue to be preoccupied with the safety of the 11 people detained in Ilijas because of the growing conflict in and around that town and the fact that the Bosnian federation has said they want to liberate Sarajevo and that town is between the concentration of forces and Sarajevo.
I also want to add that we remain concerned about Captain Rechner but we have had information over the last few days that he is okay and is near the Bosnian Serb capital of Pale.