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BELGRADE -- The Yugoslav Ministry of Transportation released a statement late Saturday, saying an ATR 72 aircraft, en route from Rome to Pristina according to information available to the ministry, crashed near the place Slavkovac on Nov 12, 1999.
Twenty one passengers and three crew members were on board the plane when it crashed.
At present, the federal ministry, as the authorized organ for air traffic in the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, has no data about possible causes of the crash, but it can be concluded already at this time that one of the main reasons was the illegal flight of the plane in Yugoslav air space over Kosovo and Metohija province.
The ministry said its respective services had not been asked for permission for this fight, it had not been approved, and the plane had not been under guidance of the Flight Control Service of Yugoslavia.
With their unilateral decisions which are in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, and denying the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the KFOR and UNMIK made it impossible for authorized air traffic organs of Yugoslavia to execute their rights and obligations with regard to security of air traffic, having thus assumed full responsibility for this tragic event.
The federal ministry had pointed out on several occasions the problems which demand immediate resolving in order to establish a joint system of the KFOR, UNMIK and authorized organs of Yugoslav air traffic, which would enable safe flying in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.
The ministry once again expressed its readiness to establish full authority in the area of air traffic over the entire territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, at any time when this is made possible.
The Yugoslav gvernment expresses its regrets over this tragic incident and sends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the statement said.