MOSTAR, Feb 29 (Hina) - Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski has rejected the possibility of anyone, including the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, being exempted from responsibility for a plane crash
in which Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and eight other passengers and crew members were killed near the southern Bosnian city of Mostar last Thursday.
MOSTAR, Feb 29 (Hina) - Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski
has rejected the possibility of anyone, including the NATO-led
Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, being exempted from
responsibility for a plane crash in which Macedonian President Boris
Trajkovski and eight other passengers and crew members were killed
near the southern Bosnian city of Mostar last Thursday.#L#
"The Republic of Macedonia will use all international institutions to
fully shed light on the plane crash," Crvenkovski told a brief news
conference in Mostar on Sunday.
Responding to a statement by a reporter that SFOR troops were exempt
from criminal prosecution under the UN mandate, Crvenkovski said that
"international rules on air traffic are very strict" and that
"everyone is subject to those rules".
The Macedonian prime minister refused to speculate on details of the
investigation and the responsibility of international peacekeepers.
"I do not wish to prejudge matters at this stage. It would be
irresponsible of me to blame someone," Crvenkovski said when asked to
comment on the responsibility of French SFOR troops who guided the
plane of the late Macedonian president from the flight control tower
at Mostar airport.
(Hina) vm sb