BELGRADE, Jan 22 (Hina) - US Ambassador for war crime issues, Pierre Richard Prosper, on Wednesday met in Belgrade with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and warned him that the US Congress would not approve financial assistance
to Belgrade if it failed to extradite Ratko Mladic, Veselin Sljivancanin and Miroslav Radic to the Hague-based Tribunal (ICTY) by March 31.
BELGRADE, Jan 22 (Hina) - US Ambassador for war crime issues, Pierre
Richard Prosper, on Wednesday met in Belgrade with Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica and warned him that the US Congress
would not approve financial assistance to Belgrade if it failed to
extradite Ratko Mladic, Veselin Sljivancanin and Miroslav Radic to
the Hague-based Tribunal (ICTY) by March 31. #L#
A statement from Kostunica's office notes that the Yugoslav head of
state pointed out that when assessing co-operation with the ICTY it
was necessary to keep in mind all the aspects concerned with that
process, particularly the aspect of justice as well as the aspect
relating to the constitutional order and political implications of
that issue.
Kostunica faced Prosper with "the facts that undoubtedly point to
selective justice by the Hague-based Tribunal". He presented
statistical figures, which on the major part accuse the Serb side,
whether with regard to the number of indictments or the rank of
defendants, according to the statement.
According to the same source, making assistance conditional on co-
operation with the ICTY seriously affects Yugoslav-American
relations.
(hina) sp ms sb