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BELGRADE, Aug 10, 1999 -- (Agence France Presse) NATO should pay compensation to Belgrade for damages suffered during the 11-week air campaign, the chairman of a Russian parliamentary commission investigating the consequences of the strikes said Monday.
"The western countries must provide compensation for the results of their aggression," Nikolai Ryzhkov said during a visit to the Yugoslav capital, quoted by the state news agency Tanjug.
He added that Russian authorities "will agree with this."
During a meeting with a Yugoslav parliamentary commission on Monday, Ryzhkov said his five-day visit to Serbia was aimed at "gathering concrete material" to allow the commission of the Russian State Duma lower house of parliament to present its conclusions in early December.
Ryzhkov arrived in Belgrade Sunday at the invitation of the Yugoslav parliament.
The 20-member Duma commission believes NATO committed an "aggression against Yugoslavia that led to massive civilian victims and enormous economic damage," Ryzhkov told Yugoslav Justice Minister Zoran Knezevic, Tanjug said.
During his visit, Ryzhkov is expected to meet with top Yugoslav officials, including President Slobodan Milosevic and Foreign Minister Zivorad Jovanovic.
He is also to go to Kosovo on Tuesday to meet Russian troops deployed in the province within the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR.
The official of the Russian lower house of parliament is expected to visit sites in Belgrade and nearby Pancevo which were damaged or destroyed during the 11-week-long NATO bombing campaign on Yugoslavia.
Russia, a traditional ally of Serbia, fiercely condemned NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia. ((c) 1999 Agence France Presse)