SEVERIN: KOSTUNICA SHOULDN'T BE FORCED TO COOPERATE WITH ICTY

VIENNA, Nov 27 (Hina) - Although justice should be administered in view of war crimes suspects, the new Yugoslav leadership should not be exposed to pressure to cooperate with the Hague-based Tribunal (ICTY) as one should take into account the Serbian people's dignity and the fact that common people can understand the pressure in the wrong manner, said the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly chairman, Adrian Severin, on Monday. Severin is attending a two-day ministerial meeting of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe). After the incumbent Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica gave his speech at the meeting, Severin was asked by Croatian reporters in Vienna to comment on Kostunica's address and the OSCE reaction to Saturday's re-election of Slobodan Milosevic as the President of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS). Accepting the fact that a man who caused suffering and crises in the last ten years showed that he was not removed from power but only stepped down from the office (of President of the country) Severin described this as disturbing. However, the OSCE official believes that one should show understanding that the extradition of war criminals to the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia) in The Hague, is not of top priority for the current Yugoslav President Kostunica who has a long list of problems to resolve. Severin also maintains that one should not attach much attention to 'legal issues' about whether the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) on Monday had entered the OSCE as a new member or whether it was given back the status of the membership in this organisation. For him it is more important to hail the fact that Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) has become a part of the European umbrella security organisation. Delivering his speech in Vienna today, Kostunica said his signature (on the OSCE fundamental documents) just confirmed the FRY's participation as Yugoslavia had been within the OSCE until its suspension in 1992. In this context Kostunica thought of the former Yugoslavia - the former federation of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia. Eight years ago our membership was suspended. There is no point in analysing the foundation of reasons why it was done so, Kostunica said adding that the FRY certainly did many mistakes itself. He also blamed the international community for a lack of ability to interpret development in Yugoslavia impartially. All speakers at the ministerial meeting's plenary session hailed Yugoslavia's admission into the OSCE but their remarks differed in comments on the status of the 55th member of this organisation. Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh welcomed the FRY as a new participant in the OSCE and voiced hope in the close cooperation in promotion of OSCE's values. Italy's Deputy Foreign Minister, Umberto Ranieri greeted Kostunica at the helm of the delegation of the FRY which took part for the first time in the OSCE ministerial council. British Foreign Secretary, however, Robin Cook, expressed satisfaction with the come-back of Yugoslavia, which, according to him, returned as it restarted to respect OSCE's basic principles which it had failed to do for long time. US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright congratulated Kostunica on his election and on behalf of the United States expressed welcome to the FRY as an OSCE full-member. Several speakers, including Albright, also commented on last Friday's Summit which leaders of the 15 EU member-states and five countries covered by the Stabilisation and Association Process held in Zagreb. Most of them pointed to the Summit's contribution to the promotion of regional cooperation, reconciliation and attempts to settle conflicts through negotiations as well as on possibilities of countries in the region for accession in the European Union. Nobody, however, mentioned the individual approach. (hina) jn ms