BALKAN LEADERS RECOMMIT TO PEACE.

Byline: John Tagliabue The New York Times

Officials of the United States, its NATO allies and Balkan leaders concluded two days of sometimes tense meetings here Sunday that produced a series of declarations recommitting the former warring parties to full compliance with the Bosnian peace accords.

In four formal documents, the presidents of Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia pledged to resume contacts with commanders of the NATO-led force, to carry out on schedule the establishment of a unified administration in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, to ensure the safety of war prisoners and refugees, and to commit themselves to the prosecution of war crimes and other human rights abuses.

The talks were called because of increasing frustration over the pace at which many provisions of the Dayton, Ohio, peace accord were being put into effect.

Serbian agreement to at least some of the terms of Sunday's documents was eased by assurance from the United States and its allies that moves would begin this week to suspend economic sanctions against the Bosnian Serbs.

Much of the substance, if not always the details, of this weekend's agreements was included in the Dayton accord, which was signed in Paris in December. It is unclear to what extent the renewed assurances, which were accepted by Presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, Franjo Tudjman of Croatia and Alija Izetbegovic of Bosnia, will restore momentum to the faltering peace effort.

Nevertheless, Assistant Secretary of State Richard C. Holbrooke, the chief American negotiator, said, "We have avoided a crisis."

Speaking at a news conference, Holbrooke, who is to retire from the State Department this week, said, "We have prevented a situation that could have jeopardized the Dayton agreements."

In the principal document, the three presidents reaffirmed their commitment to fully carry out the Dayton accord. Thus, Serbia agreed that its military officers would resume contacts and talks with NATO military officials, which were suspended to protest the arrest of Bosnian Serb officers as suspected war criminals.

Agreement was reached on specific terms to reunify the Bosnian city of Mostar, which is divided between Muslims and Croats and has been a major stumbling block to progress.

Holbrooke insisted that the weekend's meetings, which were attended by officials of France, Britain, Germany and Russia - the countries that with the United States make up the "contact group" that has tried to bring peace to the former Yugoslavia - did not alter the Dayton accord.

"Let me stress: There was no change to Dayton here in Rome," Holbrooke said.

Officials sought to emphasize the progress made in resolving problems surrounding Sarajevo, where the transfer of several Serbian-held suburbs to the control of the Muslim-dominated government has faced resistance. In what appeared to be a concession to the Serbian side, the United States and its allies agreed to begin the process of lifting sanctions imposed by the United Nations against the Bosnian Serbs, in exchange for fresh impetus on resolving the deadlock in Sarajevo.