DESPITE DEL PONTE'S DEMANDS, WE WILL NOT EXTRADITE PLAVSIC -- BATIC

BELGRADE, Sept 1 (Hina) - Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic said Saturday, ahead of the visit of the international war crime tribunal's chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte to Yugoslavia, that "she can demand whatever she likes, but this does not mean the government will consider her requests". Batic's claim was provoked by the statement of the Hague-based tribunal's spokeswoman Florence Hartmann that del Ponte would during talks with Yugoslav and Serbian officials demand the extradition of all indictees currently on Yugoslav territory. Hartmann at the time said such requests particularly concerned Serbian President Milan Milutinovic and Yugoslav Army Lieutenant Colonel Veselin Sljivancanin. Batic reiterated the official Belgrade stance that "most of the indictees are protected through immunity and the government will not compromise on their extradition". The minister said he himself would have demands for del Ponte, and cited the issuing of indictments against former Bosnian Croat and Moslem leaders, as well as against military leaders of armed Kosovo Albanians Hashim Taqi and Ramush Haradinai. He added he would also request of del Ponte to make public all sealed indictments. (hina) lml