> >STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM > >Russia Strengthens Yugoslav Ties > >By Daniel Williams >Washington Post Foreign Service >Wednesday, May 17, 2000 ; A18 > >MOSCOW, May 16 ññ Russia has taken dramatic steps in >the past week to tighten relations with Yugoslavia, >officially hosting a war crimes suspect and agreeing >to provide loans to the cash-strapped government of >President Slobodan Milosevic. >The two events signaled new President Vladimir Putin's >willingness to actively undermine the West's pariah >treatment of Milosevic. Further, the visit by >Belgrade's defense minister, Gen. Dragolub Ojdanic, >suggests that Russia rejects the indictments brought >by the U.N. war crimes tribunal against him and other >officials, including Milosevic, for alleged atrocities >committed during the Kosovo war. > >Ojdanic visited Russia last week on the day of Putin's >inauguration, attended World War II anniversary >commemorations and held talks with Defense Minister >Igor Sergeyev and Army Chief of Staff Anatoly >Kvashnin. As a permanent member of the U.N. Security >Council, Russia had the obligation to detain him as a >war crimes suspect. > >Instead, Ojdanic came and went freely. News of the >visit emerged only after he departed. A short dispatch >issued by the official Tass news agency described the >official meetings on military cooperation as >"friendly." > >Ojdanic was army chief of staff during the Kosovo war >and therefore responsible for at least seven civilian >massacres, according to the war crimes tribunal. > >"The prosecutor is alarmed by these reports, which >indicate that Ojdanic, a person under indictment >before the tribunal, may have visited Russia and no >steps were taken to arrest him," said tribunal >spokesman Paul Risley. "International arrest warrants >were issued for this person, and Russia was sent one. >This incident is truly exceptional." > >A reporter's questions about the visit produced >confused responses here today. > >Presidential spokesman Igor Shyogolev said Putin's >office had "nothing to do with it. We never deal with >invitations at this level. . . . Call the Foreign >Ministry." > >Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatoly Kobzev said he "had >no information" about who invited him. "Try the >Defense Ministry," he suggested. > >Defense Ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Sedov paused and >then responded: "Invited or not invited? I can only >confirm he was in Moscow from May 7 to 12. I don't >know who invited him." > >At the end of a two-day visit to Moscow today, >Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic praised >"cooperation" between the two countries. Russia >granted Belgrade a $102 million loan and announced the >sale of $32 million worth of oil to Yugoslavia. The >loan comes at a time when the International Monetary >Fund, whose activities are underwritten by U.S. >taxpayers, is considering resumption of loans to >Russia. Russian credits to Yugoslavia may make it >difficult for the Clinton administration, which >spearheads sanctions against Yugoslavia, to justify >IMF help for Moscow. > >Putin's policy is consistent with Russian sentiment >toward Yugoslavia. Moscow opposed the war and >considered the NATO bombing campaign illegal because >it was initiated without the specific approval of the >Security Council, where Russia holds a veto. Moscow >views the war crimes accusations against Belgrade as >politically motivated. > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. >http://im.yahoo.com/ > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >______________________________________________________________________ >Advertisement: >15% off Ashford Collection jewelry for Mother's Day! Mom will love >these gorgeous pieces handpicked by our expert jewelry buyers - now >15% off and shipped FedEx overnight FREE! Spoiled as a child? Return >the favor - get her gift at Ashford.com. >http://on.linkexchange.com/?ATID=27&AID=1231 > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
