----- Original Message ----- From: heikki sipilä <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 3:26 PM Subject: Moscow Vows To Strenthen Ties With Belgrade > >STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM > >The Hindu >Online edition of India's National Newspaper on >indiaserver.com >Wednesday, May 17, 2000 > >Moscow vows to strengthen ties with Belgrade > > >By Vladimir Radyuhin > >MOSCOW, MAY 16. The Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Mr. >Zivadin Jovanovic, has secured Russia's promise to >forge close ties with Yugoslavia and extend a >$100-million credit to help rebuild his country's >economy ravaged by last year's NATO bombing. > >Mr. Jovanovic came to Moscow for a two-day visit on >Monday on the heels of the Yugoslav Defence Minister, >Mr. Dragoljub Ojdanic, who paid a five-day secret >visit to Moscow last week. The Yugoslav Ministers were >the first and so far the only foreign dignitaries to >visit Russia after Russian's new President, Mr. >Vladimir Putin, was sworn in on May 7. > >``Russia favours all-round and extensive development >of relations and cooperation with Yugoslavia,'' >Russia's Foreign Minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, said >opening talks with his Yugoslav counterpart on >Tuesday. He said the talks would cover ``the entire >gamut'' of bilateral ties. > >Mr. Ivanov said the two nations shared ``very close'' >positions in the United Nations and other >international organisations. ``It's very important for >us to discuss the situation in the Balkans, including >Kosovo,'' he said. > >Earlier, Mr. Jovanovic met Russia's Economics >Minister, Mr. Andrei Shapovalyants, who said after the >talks that Moscow was prepared to extend a >$102-million loan to Yugoslavia and was also >considering supplying $32-million worth of fuel and >other oil products. > >Moscow, which strongly opposed the NATO air raids on >Yugoslavia, is apparently playing the Yugoslavia card >to ease Western pressure on Russia over its >eight-month-long war in Chechnya. > >In talks with Mr. Gennady Seleznyov, Speaker of >Russia's State Duma or lower House of parliament on >Monday, Mr. Jovanovic discussed prospects for Belgrade >to join a Russia- Belarus union, an offer the Balkan >state received at the height of NATO raids last year. > >``We consider ourselves, like Belarus, an ally of >Russia,'' Mr. Jovanovic told mediapersons after the >meeting. ``We view the aspiration of the peoples of >our nations towards union and the establishment of >peace and cooperation in Europe as a reply to those >forces seeking to dismember the Slavic countries.'' > >Last week, the Yugoslav Defence Minister discussed >bilateral military cooperation and the situation in >the Balkans with Russia's Defence Minister, Marshall >Igor Sergeyev, and the head of the armed forces' >General Staff, General Anatoly Kvashnin, according to >an official statement issued by the Russian Defence >Ministry. > >Yugoslavia, a traditional ally of Russia, is keen to >upgrade its defence potential, especially air-defence >forces, with Russian arms. > > > > >__________________________________________________ >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] ___________________________________ --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
