PRODI SAYS SERBIA'S COOPERATION WITH ICTY ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

BRUSSELS, March 23 (Hina) - Serbia's cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is the absolute condition for any progress in cooperation with the European Union, European Commission President Romano Prodi said after talks with Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in Brussels on Tuesday.#L# I stressed the absolute need for cooperating with the ICTY, which is a clear condition for any progress in cooperation with the EU, Prodi said Kostunica said his government was ready to meet its international commitments, including cooperation with the Hague tribunal. He said, however, the cooperation could be developed in several ways and at a different pace, as proved by the examples of other countries in the region.. "We are searching for ways which would not destabilise institutions in Serbia, which was also done in Croatia," Kostunica said. About 20 people indicted by the ICTY are currently hiding in Serbia, including the Bosnian Serb war lord Ratko Mladic. According to the latest information, Radovan Karadzic is also in Serbia. Prodi condemned the latest violence in Kosovo, saying no solutions could be found without partnership with the EU. He said solutions should be sought under the European roof under which many peoples could live together. Speaking about Kosovo, Kostunica said Serbia's stability was of the greatest importance. "A political solution must be found and the equality of non-Albanians ensured," Kostunica said. Asked to comment on proposals regarding the cantonisation of Kosovo, Kostunica said the cantonisation was one of the synonyms that he used while speaking about the need to decentralise the authority in Kosovo. "Cantonisation has nothing to do with the permanent solution for Kosovo, but with the protection of human rights and the prevention of violence, the Serbian PM said. (Hina) it