Subject: Ivanov for stronger action in Macedonia [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- - Ivanov for stronger action in Macedonia MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Friday that the international community should take more resolute actions against rebels in Macedonia - but only at Macedonia's request and with a United Nations mandate. A day after meeting with top Balkan envoys from the United States and Europe, Ivanov received Macedonian First Deputy Foreign Minister Viktor Gaber. The international community "should be more resolute in its actions against extremist forces in Macedonia," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Ivanov as saying. Russia has expressed skepticism that the NATO mission in Macedonia to disarm ethnic Albanian rebels who have been fighting government troops will lead to a lasting cease-fire. It has also blamed NATO policy in neighboring Kosovo for allowing the violence to spill over into Macedonia. Ivanov said the best way "to give support to Macedonia" was through a U.N. mandate, which would "clearly define the responsibility of the forces that would carry out this or that mission at the Macedonian leadership's request," the Interfax news agency reported. Russia played a key role in negotiating an end to NATO airstrikes on Yugoslavia in 1999, and Ivanov suggested that Moscow was seeking to play a role in settling the Macedonia conflict. He said the Russian and Macedonian foreign ministries would maintain close contact and coordinate their policies, according to ITAR-Tass. -AP _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
