The start of Milosevic's defence has been delayed for months due to his ill health. He has suffered from high blood pressure,
flu and bouts of exhaustion since his trial opened at the U.N. tribunal in February 2002.
"Accusations against me represent unscrupolous manipulation with lies, bending the truth and irresponsible representation of history," Milosevic, who is defending himself, said before embarking on his long awaited opening trial defence.
He accused the international community, notably Germany, the Vatican and the United States of breaking up the former Yugoslav federation and the war which broke up in that territory.
One multiethnic and multicultural European country, which had the historical and international legitimacy, was broken up following the order by Germany and the Vatican and with the help of the United States and the European Union, said Milosevic and added that mini-states were created on the territory of the former Yugoslavia.
Milosevic accused Croatian paramilitary forces for the war in Croatia. He said they had committed crimes against Serbs on the same territory as they did in 1941 in the Independent State of Croatia.
For the war in Bosnia, the former Serb strongman accused Islamic fundamentalists, while for the violence in Kosovo, Milosevic accused Albanian terrorists. He said that the biggest victims of the Balkan wars were Serbs.
Milosevic told the judge that he needed tomorrow as well for his opening statement, but his request was not granted.
The Milosevic trial started on 12 February 2002. The Trial Chamber granted Milosevic 150 working days for the introduction of evidence and witnesses and said it expected the procedure to end by October 2005.