 |  |  |
| Return to: Left History: a digital archive | Return to: Say no to imperialist wars! | Return to: NATO-Yugoslav War Internet Resources |
| | |
| Return to: Left History: a digital archive | Return to: Say no to imperialist wars! | Return to: NATO-Yugoslav War Internet Resources |
YUGOSLAVIA INSISTS ON CONSISTENT IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION 1244
NEW YORK - The head of the permanent Yugoslav mission at the United Nations, Ambassador Vladislav Jovanovic, sent a letter on Thursday to Security Council President Sergei Lavrov underscoring the need for the return of a part of Yugoslav Army and police troops to Kosovo and Metohija in keeping with Security Council Resolution 1244.
In a separate protest letter to the Security Council President, Yugoslavia demanded this body's reaction to the illegal action of the U.S. contigent within the U.N. peacekeeping mission which, contrary to the decisions and determined policy of the resolution, started building a base in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.
In the two letters, Yugoslavia recalled that a political solution to all issues linked to Serbia's southern Kosovo and Metohija province must be sought solely with the respect of the decisions contained in Resolution 1244, the Ahtisaari-Chernomyrdin Agreement, the Military-Technical Agreement and other relevant documents.
D'ALEMA SAYS ITALY HAS ITS SHARE OF BLAME FOR SERBIAN TRAGEDY
ROME - Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema said in Bari, south Italy, on Saturday that Italy has its share of the blame for the tragedy of the Serbian people.
According to D'Alema, speaking at a round-table conference on Balkan economic recovery, Italy wishes to rebuild the damage and open new prospects.
Italy is determined to take full part in the reconstruction of the Balkans and so bear its responsibility in full, D'Alema told the assembled ranking officials from the Balkan Stability Pact nations.
DINI - THERE CAN BE NO RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BALKANS WITHOUT SERBIA'S PARTICIPATION
ROME - There can be no real and comprehensive reconstruction of the Balkans without the inclusion of Serbia in the job, Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini told Tanjug Friday. Ahead of the first round table on economic reconstruction of the Balkan region in Bari, Dini said that Serbia was not only an integral part but also the most important parts of the Balkans.
Bearing in mind the current situation in the Balkans, the Italian foreign minister specified that the basic task of the round table on the reconstruction of the Balkans will be to determine the most urgent investments.
No doubt they will be infrastucture projects, primarily those that include a number of countries of the Balkan region, Lamberto Dini said.
Italian government representative Marko Miniti said that Italy will allocate 280 billion liras (280 million D marks) over a three-year period for the reconstruciton of the Balkans, and according to the coordinator of the special economic council for the reconstruction of the Balkan region, Franco Barnabe, at least 2,000 billion liras, or two billion D marks will be needed for the reconstruction of Kosovo-Meothija.
GENERAL REINHARDT PROMISES PROTECTION OF SERBS AND SERBIAN CULTURAL LANDMARKS
BONN - German General Klaus Reinhardt promised in Pristina Friday, before taking over the duties of KFOR commander, that under his leadership, the international peacekeeping forces will be absolutely neutral and that they will provide effective protection to all residents of Kosovo-Metohija, without regard to ethnic identity.
"KFOR is in Kosovo, among other things, also to protect priceless Serbian cultural sites and prevent the destruction of the magnificent, for the Serbs very important, religious shrines," the 58-year-old general told the German news agency DPA.
Reinhardt also stressed that it was important that people in Kosovo view him as a general who, for the first time since WW II, is not coming to the Balkans as an occupier, but to render assistance to the people.
Before his appointment as KFOR commander, Gen. Reinhardt was commander of the NATO allied troops in Koblenz.