SARAJEVO, BELGRADE MIGHT NEGOTIATE GENOCIDE LAWSUIT

SARAJEVO, Dec 6 (Hina) - Yugoslavia's new ambassador to Bosnia has begun its diplomatic mission in Sarajevo by openly lobbying for the withdrawal of an aggression and genocide lawsuit Bosnia filed against Yugoslavia with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague. Stanimir Vukicevic commented on his first talks with state and Serb entity officials by saying Bosnia and Herzegovina should withdraw the lawsuit filed in 1993 "in the interest of the development of good neighbourly relations." "Until that happens, demands for any kind of apology on Yugoslavia's part make no sense at all," Vukovic told the media in Sarajevo. This statement comes in the wake of Bosnia's confirmation that it abides by its ICJ lawsuit, regardless of the fact that Yugoslavia has withdrawn a similar counterclaim against the Sarajevo authorities. This has been confirmed by Bosnian Presidency member Beriz Belkic. Bosnia's Serb entity, the Republic of Srpska (RS), directly supports Yugoslavia's stance in this dispute, with the Serb member of the state presidency, Zivko Radisic, among the most vociferous. "This lawsuit has no footing in legislation and is contrary to the reconciliation activities which everyone advocates. The only proper thing to do is withdraw the lawsuit and consider the future," he said. Radisic maintains the lawsuit is actually a one-sided action on the part of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), namely Alija Izetbegovic. "To accuse the FRY (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) of aggression and genocide is unacceptable also because here we had an inter-ethnic, religious and civil war," he said. Reacting to the coordinated Belgrade and Banja Luka efforts to have the lawsuit withdrawn, SDA issued a statement condemning the "blind collaboration of political factors from the RS and FRY," and urging the Belgrade authorities to finally assume responsibility "for the consequences of their genocidal policy," evident in countless graves throughout Bosnia. For the Belgrade authorities, the material aspect of the matter also presents a problem. If found guilty, Yugoslavia would have to pay hundreds of millions of US dollars in war damages, which would push Serbia's fallen economy into utter bankruptcy. However, far from public view, it is quite possible that Sarajevo and Belgrade are negotiating the settlement of the matter by other means as well. The secretary-general of Bosnia's Social Democrats, Miro Lazovic, has cautiously announced that Bosnia's authorities might accept a compromise which would see Yugoslavia publicly admit guilt and responsibility for the war and extradite all war crimes suspects. "That too is a possibility," Lazovic told the Banja Luka daily Nezavisne Novine, adding this solution would step up the reconciliation process. During his two recent visits to Sarajevo, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica dismissed the possibility of a public apology for the crimes committed in Bosnia. He stressed that everybody had suffered in the last war and all sides committed crimes. (hina) ha sb