WORLD BANK WITHDRAWS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO YUGOSLAVIA

BELGRADE, Oct 23 (Hina) - A senior official of the Serbian ruling coalition DOS said on Tuesday that the World Bank has ceased every further financial assistance to Yugoslavia because of a serious disagreement within the DOS. President of the New Serbia party and Cacak Mayor, Velimir Ilic, told a news conference today held jointly with the US Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Charles Crawford, that the World Bank had written to the leaders of the ruling coalition, informing them about withdrawing every further assistance. The financial aid ceased, Ilic asserted, because of disputes within the DOS and unresolved issues between Belgrade and Podgorica. Ambassador Crawford believes Yugoslavia does not have much room left for foreign investments because the reform process is slow, and disputes in the top echelons of the authorities which are creating an insecure environment. Having mass graves in Belgrade and those responsible for them still not in prison or The Hague does not draw the world a pretty picture of a country, Crawford stressed. He added that Yugoslavia's cooperation with the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal was not simple, but Serbia had no other choice. (hina) lml sb