>From: Maria Dim <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [STOPNATO] Belgrade Determined To Send Troops To Kosovo > > >Belgrade Determined To Send Troops To Kosovo > By Louis Economopoulos > CNS Correspondent > September 05, 2000 > >Athens, Greece (CNSNews.com) - The Yugoslav government says it is > determined to return its troops and police to Kosovo, the war-torn >province > they vacated under NATO pressure after last year's air campaign. > > Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic told the Sunday edition of > Thessaloniki's daily newspaper Macedonia that Kosovo was an integral >part of > Serbia and Yugoslavia, and that the present United Nations regime was > temporary. > > "Serbia will return to Kosovo with its own authority, its own army and >police. > Serbia will return to its borders with all its neighbors, including >Albania. Those > who calculate differently do not take Serbia into account and >misinterpret the > history of Yugoslavia," he said. > > The agreement signed following the end of the NATO bombardment last >year > provides for the deployment of certain military and police forces in >Kosovo for > the safeguarding of the borders and of border crossings. However, the >U.N. > Security Council has not set a timetable for the move. > > Jovanovic stated: "The return of the Yugoslav armed forced is something > > non-negotiable and can happen at any time ... we insist and are ready >to return > even tomorrow to Kosovo." > > Last week, Yugoslav troops and police held exercises with live >ammunition on > the Serbia-Kosovo border, while Belgrade let it be understood that >President > Slobodan Milosevic was planning to visit Kosovo. NATO has threatened to > > respond by arresting Milosevic, who is wanted on charges of war crimes. > > In the interview, the Yugoslav foreign minister launched a stinging >attack > against international policy and the military command in Kosovo, >accusing them > of cooperating with terrorism. He claimed: "Kosovo has been transformed >into a > vault for crime and terrorism." > > Jovanovic also criticized Greece, a long-time ally of Yugoslavia, >saying that > Athens' policy toward Belgrade was dictated by the United States and >NATO. > > Meanwhile, the Greek government raised concern about conditions in the > Balkans and the wisdom of continuing European Union economic sanctions > against Serbia at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in France on >Saturday. > > Foreign Minister George Papandreou told his counterparts Greece was the > > member-state most heavily affected by the economic and social >instability of > the Balkans. > > He criticized the EU for portraying Yugoslavia as the "demon," saying >this was > not the best possible course of action. He also briefed the meeting of >a planned > visit to Belgrade. > > French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, presiding at the meeting, said >the visit > "could prove useful." > > The EU ministers decided to make no move to lift sanctions against >Serbia for > fear of helping Milosevic in elections scheduled for September 24. > > Vedrine said they wanted to send a message that a return to democracy >in > Yugoslavia would mean a massive influx of aid. > > Greek Prime Minster Costas Simitis said in a speech Sunday his >government's > policy in the Balkans is yielding results. > > He called Yugoslavia a "special problem" and a "source of tension," >which > "because of the policies it pursues does not aid a peaceful >development" in the > region. > > Meanwhile U.S. Ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns praised Greek >policies > in the Balkans. > > "Our troops serve together in Bosnia and in Kosovo. Both our countries >support > the development of democracy in Serbia," Burns said in a weekend >speech. > > Because of its geographical location and religious links to the Serbs, >Greece > was the NATO country most bitterly divided over last year's military >campaign > against Milosevic. > > The 74-day NATO operation, aimed at ending Serbian atrocities against >ethnic > Albanians in Kosovo, ended with the installation of an interim >administration > under U.N. control. Although an internationally-run enclave, Kosovo >remains a > province of what is left of the Yugoslav federation - Serbia and >Montenegro. > > >_________________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
