LAUSANNE. Switzerland. Dec 11: international Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch hopes to visit war-battered Bosnia In February as part of bls Initiative for an । "Olympic Truce." reports AI’ * Samaranch said Thursday he would like to make a one-or two-day trip to Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital, sometime during the Feb 12-27 Winter Games in Lillehammer. Norway.
The visit would be a gesture of solidarity with the city which hosted the Winter Games in 1984. Sarajevo has been tom by war ever since the (ormer Yugoslav republic declared Its Independence nearly two years ago.
Samaranch said he has twice sought to arrange a trip to Sarajevo, but permission was denied both times.
"I would like to be the people who organised such a wonderful Games in 1984." Samaranch told a news conference at the end of a four-day meeting of the IOC executive board.
Samaranch and the execu tive board met Wednesday with national Olympic committee officials from Yugoslavia and Croatia. Olympic leaders from Bosnia-Herzegovina were prevented from leaving the country to attend the meeting.
Samaranch said the IOC will seek to arrange talks with officials of the three warring factions in Bosnia — Serbs. Croats and Muslims.
l The efforts stem from the nOC s appeal for warring parties to follow ancient Greek tradition and lay down their arms during the Olympics. The UN General Assembly endorsed the initiative in October
A ceremony to mark the truce is set for Lausanne on Jan 24. Samaranch acknowledged. however, that the chances of achieving a truce are slim
"We know it is nearly impossible, but it the duty of the Olympic movement to try." Samaranch said K the fighters
stop for a few weeks, may be they could stop for a longer time, may be forever".
Samaranch denied reports that the truce initiative Is part of a drive to win the Nobel Peace Prize for the IOC or himself.
On another issue.
Samaranch said there will be no drastic changes to the Olympic programme for the 2000 Games, dousing speculation that, several sports will be dropped.
“We don't like revolution, we want evolution." he said. "Any changes for the year 2000 will not be major changes."
The IOC programme com
mission submitted a report to the board Monday recommending which sports should be eliminated or added starting at the Olympics in Sydney. Australia.
The IOC imposed a tight lid of secrecy on the contents of the report, which some sources do-scribed as proposing radical changes. Unconfirmed reports suggested about five sports or disciplines were in danger of being axed, including boxing, modern pentatholon and fencing. Triathlon, golf and bowling have been mentioned as sports that could be added to the programme.
Samaranch made clear, however, that the report is only a "Working document" and the executive board will come up with th? final plan in time for the IOC session in Paris next September.
"We need to reform the Olympic programme, we need to modernise It." Samaranch said. "But the work will be done step by step . What we will propose to the session Is an evolution. My personal opinion Is we will have not have very Important changes."
Samaranch Indicated there will be no indiscriminate elimination of sports.
"Those federations which have been members of the Olympic'movement for a long time can be assured that noth ing will be done that Is not really necessary." he said.
Meanwhile. Samaranch said he is still waiting for a list of candidates for a new IOC mem ber from the United States.
"We want to elect a member In agreement with the US Olympic Committee." he said. "The ball is not here, the ball is there."
The United States has two seats on the IOC. One has been vacant since 1991 when Robert Helmick resigned in a conflict of-interest scandal. US officials have repeatedly failed to come . up with a list suitable to Samaranch.
In a separate interview, he said he wants the USOC to submit at least three names