SERBIAN VICE-PREMIER EXPLAINS HOW MILOSEVIC EXTRADITION CAME ABOUT

ZAGREB, June 28 (Hina) - Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Zarko Korac told Croatian television Thursday night the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic has indeed been extradited to the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal today afternoon. #L# "I can only confirm the information that Slobodan Milosevic has been handed over to Hague investigators. I suppose he is outside of Yugoslavia as we speak," Korac said. An extraordinary Serbian government session took place this afternoon, at which it was decided that a provision of the Serbian Constituion should be used, Korac explained. The provision, interpreted roughly, he said, states Serbia has the right to protect its interests when the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is endangering these interests. A political irony is that this Constitution was passed by Milosevic himself, believing it would protect him, Korac added. After this decision, we made another to directly apply the status of the Hague tribunal, and the Interior Ministry was given instructions to act according to the decisions and give up Milosevic to the Hague investigators, he explained further. Asked whether the Serbian government was now expecting a reaction by the Yugoslav federal authorities, President Kostunica in particular, who opposed Milosevic's extradition, Korac replied he could not comment on the notion. The decision on his extradition was made by the entire government, apart from one minister from the ranks of Kostunica's party. "We hold the issue to be crucial to the future and preservation of Serbia as a democratic state, and everybody must face up to their responsibility for the crimes committed," the vice-premier asserted. Moreover, Korac holds, "the time has arrived that people be held liable for what they did in the past wars in the region of the former Yugoslavia". (hina) lml