http://www.interfax.com/3/379610/news.aspx
Interfax March 31, 2008 First planeload of relief aid for Kosovo to take off on April 2 MOSCOW - The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry will dispatch the first planeload of humanitarian aid for Kosovo on Wednesday, April 2, the ministry's press service told Interfax. "Several IL-76 cargo planes will be dispatched. "The first one is due to take off on April 2. It will carry 40 tons of food, including baby food, to Belgrade," the press service said. ------------------------------------------------------ http://en.rian.ru/world/20080331/102606646.html Russian Information Agency Novosti March 31, 2008 Kosovo to receive first batch of Russian aid on April 2 BELGRADE - The first Russian plane carrying emergency food and medicine for Kosovo will arrive in Belgrade on April 2, a spokesperson for the Russian Embassy in Serbia said on Monday. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed early last week to provide humanitarian aid to crisis-hit Serb areas in Kosovo in line with a request from Serbia's government. "Flights with humanitarian assistance have also been scheduled for April 4 and 8," Alyona Kudryavtseva said. The first batch contains rice, sugar, canned foods, as well as medicine and medical equipment. Kosovo, with a 90% ethnic Albanian majority, has been recognized as a sovereign state by the United States, most European Union members, and several other countries since it proclaimed independence on February 17. Russia and China have sided with Belgrade, which says Kosovo will always remain a part of its territory. Two weeks ago violence broke out in the north of Kosovo as rioters attacked UN peacekeepers following the arrests of ethnic Serbs who had seized a UN court building in protest against the province's secession. A Ukrainian peacekeeper was killed and dozens of people, both Serbs and UN personnel, were injured. ------------------------------------------------------ http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12533472&PageNum=0 Itar-Tass March 31, 2008 Russia to deliver humanitarian aid to Serbia MOSCOW - Russia’s Emergencies Ministry will deliver humanitarian aid to Serbia, the ministry’s press department reported. “On the instruction of the country’s leadership, Russia’s Emergencies Ministry will deal with providing humanitarian aide to Serbia for the population of Kosovo,” an official said on Monday. In his words, the Il-76 planes will make several flights to Serbia. The first flight is scheduled for April 2. “The first plane will carry 40 tonnes of foodstuffs, including baby food, to Serbia,” the official said. Serbian News Network - SNN [email protected] http://www.antic.org/
