-Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that "if the international community had had enough courage and strength to prevent [in due time] the bombardments of Belgrade, today we would have had no such complicated situation in Iraq and the Iraqi crisis would be of totally different nature." -"In my personal opinion, the funds for restoration should be provided by those who destroyed the country's economic facilities," Putin declared. "They have caused destruction, but when it comes to restoration they are unwilling to do so, and bridges across the Danube are still lying in ruins and all European companies are suffering losses," the Russian president stated. 1) Weakest Link In Regional Stability: Talks Between Russian President, Serbian Prime Minister Focus On Kosovo Crisis 2) Russia To Discuss Kosovo With Serbian Leader, Denounces Ethnic Purges Of Kosovo Serbs 3) Russian President: NATO Nations Destroyed Serbian Economy, Refuse To Help Rebuild It 4) Russia: Serbian Infrastructure Should Be Rebuilt By Those Who Destroyed It, NATO Should Cease Attempts To Change Serbian Political System 5) Russia Ready For More Active Role In Kosovo Settlement 6) Russia, Serbia To Resume Military-Technical Cooperation 7) Russia Considers Participation In Serbia's Economic Reconstruction 1) http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=4404216&startrow=21&date= 2004-06-03&do_alert=0 Russian Information Agency (Novosti) June 3, 2004 PUTIN AND KOSTUNICA TO DISCUSS KOSOVO -Kosovo remains the weakest link in the context of regional security, thinks Moscow. Russia has denounced the recent outbreak of violence in the province that resulted in anti-Serb cleansing campaigns. MOSCOW/BELGRADE - Kosovo will be high on the agenda of talks between Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, says a source in the Kremlin. The meeting is set for June 3 in Sochi, where the two leaders will discuss the current state and the outlook of bilateral cooperation and exchange opinions on the situation in the state community of Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo, and regional and European issues. Kosovo remains the weakest link in the context of regional security, thinks Moscow. Russia has denounced the recent outbreak of violence in the province that resulted in anti-Serb cleansing campaigns. The Kremlin source recalled that Moscow took a number of political steps in this connection and promptly provided (and continues to provide) humanitarian aid to refugee Serbs. Its Emergencies Ministry has established two tent camps for 1,000 beds each. Apart from foods and medicines, Russia has dispatched portable power generating units and equipment for field kitchens to Serbia. "In May-June this year, we will dispatch 102 module houses to Kosovo," said the source. He added that the first batch of the houses had arrived in Serbia and Montenegro; 500 Serb children from Kosovo will come for holidays to Russia in June. "The current task is to overcome the consequences of the extremist actions," said the Kremlin source. Moscow believes that international forces in Kosovo should maximally take into account the April 30, 2004 statement by the chairman of the UN Security Council, which includes the list of priority steps to be taken to stabilise the situation in the province. According to the Kremlin, "The international community must act resolutely to normalise the situation and ensure strict and full compliance with Security Council Resolution 1244." As Kostunica told RIA before his first visit to Russia in the capacity of the head of the Serbian government, he plans to inform the Russian leadership about the Serbian government's plan of solving the problem of Kosovo and Metohija. Russia, being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is playing a major role in the Kosovo settlement, thinks Kostunica. In his words, a clear-cut and principled stand of Russia on the inviolability of borders in the region "will greatly facilitate the preservation of stability and peace in the region and promote patient dialogue as a method of solving the problem." The premier believes that the solution of the Kosovo problem should be based above all on Security Council Resolution 1244 as a comprehensive and binding law that stipulates broad autonomy for Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia. Belgrade is convinced that such broad autonomy should also entail broad autonomy for Kosovo Serbs without changing the status of Kosovo, said Kostunica. He pointed out that Russia supports the striving for creating a stable state association of Serbia and Montenegro, which meets the interests of the Balkan region. The development and strengthening of economic ties and cultural cooperation will feature prominently at the talks with the Russian president, said Vojislav Kostunica. ------------------------------------------------------ 2) http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=898601&PageNum=2 Itar-Tass June 3, 2004 Putin to meet Serbian premier Kostunica in Sochi -The situation in Kosovo will be the key issue under discussion. Russia sharply denounced a recent rash of violence which resulted in ethnic purges of Serbian population in the province, the Kremlin emphasized. SOCHI - Russian President Vladimir Putin will receive on Thursday Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi. The Serbian premier arrived in Russia on Wednesday evening on a brief working visit, the main aim of which is talks with the Russian head of state. The Thursday meeting between Putin and Kostunica will be the third since 2000. They had previous meetings in Moscow and Belgrade, Tass learnt from a source at the Kremlin office. According to the source, the situation in Kosovo will be the key issue under discussion. Russia sharply denounced a recent rash of violence which resulted in ethnic purges of Serbian population in the province, the Kremlin emphasized. Moscow also made several political moves, rendered quickly and continues to render humanitarian aid to Serbian refugees. The total volume of humanitarian operation, conducted by Russia in Kosovo, is over one million U.S. dollars, the Kremlin official said. The Kremlin stresses that the need for overcoming aftermaths of extremist actions assumes special topicality at this stage of a Kosovo settlement. Russia proceeds from a premise that the international presence in Kosovo should take into account, to the greatest degree in its activities, the statement by the president of the U.N. Security Council. The statement, adopted on April 30, contained a list of top priority moves to stabilize the situation in the province. The international community should take the most resolute measures to normalize the situation in Kosovo and to fulfill completely and undeviatingly resolution No. 1244 of the U.N. Security Council, the Russian presidents office claimed. Putin and Kostunica plan to discuss the situation in Serbia and Montenegro. Russia is interested in consolidating the state union between Serbia and Montenegro, the Kremlin source said. He expressed hope for stabilizing the situation in Serbia where steps were taken in the recent past to pull out of the political, social and economic crisis. The president and the premier intend to touch on the state of and prospect for the development of bilateral cooperation, since Serbia and Montenegro one of priority partner of Russia in the Balkans, trade between Russia and the Serbia and Montenegro community topped one million dollars for the first time over the past few years, the Kremlin source told Tass. He specified that trade totaled 1.245 billion dollars by the results of 2003, while taking into account construction services, performed by Serbian and Montenegrin organisations in Russia 1.445 billion dollars. The Kremlin noted that Russian business community displays interest in privatization projects in Serbia, including in the sphere of tourism. Russia as well as Serbia and Montenegro have several promising joint investment projects in the fuel and energy sphere. These are, above all, understandings on reconstructing the Dzherdan-1 hydropower station on the Danube. It is especially important for Serbia the support of Russia for our desire to set up stable and functional institutes of power in the Serbia and Montenegro state community, Kostunica said before his departure for Russia. It would be ideal for us to raise our economic relations to the level of political, the Serbian premier claimed. According to the prime minister, the republic welcomes the participation of Russian capital in the process of privatization in Serbia. Konstunica intends to inform the Russian leadership of a Serbian government plan, taken several weeks ago, on a solution of the Kosovo problem, which provides for granting autonomy for the Serbian minority in the province. ------------------------------------------------------ 3) http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=901985&PageNum=0 Itar-Tass June 3, 2004 Serbia damage should be repaired by those who bombed it- Putin -The Russian head of state stressed that the "damage inflicted on the Serbian economy as a result of military operations and bombardments" should be repaired by those who carried out these bombardments. SOCHI - Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that "if the international community had had enough courage and strength to prevent [in due time] the bombardments of Belgrade, today we would have had no such complicated situation in Iraq and the Iraqi crisis would be of totally different nature." The Russian President made this statement after talks with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Thursday. The Russian head of state stressed that the "damage inflicted on the Serbian economy as a result of military operations and bombardments" should be repaired by those who carried out these bombardments. "In my personal opinion, the funds for restoration should be provided by those who destroyed the country's economic facilities," Putin declared. "They have caused destruction, but when it comes to restoration they are unwilling to do so, and bridges across the Danube are still lying in ruins and all European companies are suffering losses," the Russian president stated. ------------------------------------------------------ 4) http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20040603185319.shtml RBC News (Russia) June 3, 2004 Putin comments on Kosovo settlement -According to [Putin], those who destroyed Serbian infrastructure should fund rebuilding of the Serbian economy. European transportation companies post losses because of destroyed facilities, Putin emphasized. He has also denounced NATO's attempts to change the political system in Serbia. Moscow - Russia is ready to contribute more to resolving the Kosovo crisis, if its help is necessary, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in the southern city of Sochi after negotiations with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica. One of the necessary reasons for participating in the settlement of the conflict more actively is evidence of the fact that Russia's efforts are necessary, the president emphasized, Rossiya (Russia) television reported. I agree with those who see all the agreements on the Kosovo conflict collapsing, Putin announced. Russia's appeals have not reached all the countries involved in the settlement of the Kosovo conflict, he stressed. According to him, those who destroyed Serbian infrastructure should fund rebuilding of the Serbian economy. European transportation companies post losses because of destroyed facilities, Putin emphasized. He has also denounced NATO's attempts to change the political system in Serbia. ------------------------------------------------------ 5) http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=902459&PageNum=0 Itar-Tass June 3, 2004 Russia ready for more active part in Kosovo settlement SOCHI - Russia is prepared to take a more active part in the Kosovo settlement if it gets convinced that it is really needed there. We are prepared to step up our participation if we get convinced that Russia is needed there and that decisions taken with our participation can really lead to settlement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after the talks with Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in Sochi on Thursday. The president said the Russian military contingent had been withdrawn from Kosovo for the reason that its presence there did not decide anything. We have withdrawn the military contingent not for the reason that we dont care what happens in Kosovo but because the presence of the contingent that does not decide anything, cannot influence anything is pointless, he said. The president believes the presence of the contingent would only be a front for changing the situation in the direction that looks erroneous. ------------------------------------------------------ 6) http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=4407615&startrow=1&date=2 004-06-03&do_alert=0 Russian Information Agency (Novosti) June 3, 2004 RUSSIA, SERBIA TO RESUME MILITARY-TECHNICAL COOPERATION SOCHI - President Vladimir Putin met at the negotiation table with Vojislav Kostunica, Serbia's Prime Minister. The two countries ought to resume military-technical partnership with Russia, the Premier said to the media after the talks. These contacts have every chance to revive if international political norms are complied with in the respect of united Serb-Montenegrin statehood, he added. The summiteers weighed chances for a Serb-Montenegrin delegation to discuss the prospects in Russia, he went on. ------------------------------------------------------ 7) http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=902256&PageNum=0 Itar- Tass June 3, 2004 Russia participation in Serbia restoration possible - Putin SOCHI - President Vladimir Putin said Russias participation in the economic restoration of Serbia is feasible. The restoration of the economy of Serbia is, of course, possible and simultaneously in several channels, he said after his talks with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica on Thursday. The first and most natural direction is the participation of our companies in the economic activity of Serbia on a non-discriminating basis, the president said. He added that he was going to encourage business. Putin stressed that Russia is ready to take part in solving humanitarian questions. Kostunica said he and Putin discussed debts of Serbia and Montenegro to Russia. The issue should not be only a solution to the debt problem, but a way of strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, he said. The Serbian prime minister also discussed with Putin the re-establishment of the activity of an intergovernmental commission. He called for the continuation of military-technical cooperation. Kostunica said another subject of the talks was a visit of a ministerial delegation of Serbia and Montenegro to Russia, due in the second half of June. He stated interest in a trip to Russia of a delegation on military-technical cooperation. Srpska Informativna Mreza [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.antic.org/
