ZAGREB, March 29 (Hina) - The Yugoslav ambassador to Croatia on Monday said in Zagreb that despite NATO's serious punishment of his country, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would not retaliate on neighbouring countries which
provided assistance in NATO air strikes against the FRY. "(NATO) is punishing Yugoslavia seriously, the traces of this crime are more than visible, and the aggression is ongoing with full intensity," Ambassador Veljko Knezevic told a press conference called by the Yugoslav Embassy in Zagreb. Knezevic said that since "it hasn't attacked anybody, Yugoslavia will defend itself as long as the aggression lasts." "To your potential question whether Yugoslavia will retaliate against some neighbours which have been especially generous in assisting the NATO alliance, I respond that (Yugoslavia) will not do it, but will defend" itself within its borders, Knezevic said. Regarding C
ZAGREB, March 29 (Hina) - The Yugoslav ambassador to Croatia on
Monday said in Zagreb that despite NATO's serious punishment of his
country, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would not retaliate on
neighbouring countries which provided assistance in NATO air
strikes against the FRY.
"(NATO) is punishing Yugoslavia seriously, the traces of this crime
are more than visible, and the aggression is ongoing with full
intensity," Ambassador Veljko Knezevic told a press conference
called by the Yugoslav Embassy in Zagreb.
Knezevic said that since "it hasn't attacked anybody, Yugoslavia
will defend itself as long as the aggression lasts."
"To your potential question whether Yugoslavia will retaliate
against some neighbours which have been especially generous in
assisting the NATO alliance, I respond that (Yugoslavia) will not
do it, but will defend" itself within its borders, Knezevic said.
Regarding Croatia's formal policy towards NATO's intervention,
Knezevic said the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was not "thrilled
in the least" with the fact that Croatia's air space had been used by
NATO air forces "which are destroying and burning across Serbia".
"We are surprised, and we regret, and I could say, we are a bit
disappointed that things are the way they are", Knezevic told the
press conference.
When asked if the latest events would have any impact on the
development of relations between Croatia and FRY, Knezevic said
that much had been done to normalise the situation during the past
five years. He said many agreements were about to be signed before
the NATO intervention, and added the process would continue.
He expressed hope that "a certain form of euphoria", which Croatia
demonstrated over the NATO strike, would soon pass.
The FRY expects that reason will prevail in the NATO leadership, and
the strikes will stop "because from the very beginning we have been
offering negotiations and dialogue", Knezevic said.
The FRY, however, expects it to be a real dialogue, because there
has not been any dialogue so far, since negotiators of both sides at
the Rambouillet talks "were decoration" for US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright, and they also did not meet in Paris, Knezevic
said.
According to the Yugoslav ambassador, sources in Kosovo are
fabricating information on fierce genocide and a huge humanitarian
disaster and exodus of Kosovo Albanians.
He added that what was happening in Kosovo was also happening in the
entire FRY, namely "Americans should admit that they have been
causing a humanitarian disaster of huge proportions in the entire
FRY for five days already".
Knezevic also said that, besides the F-117 plane, the Yugoslav air
defence had shot down another five NATO jets and 30 cruise
missiles.
"We've been told to avoid exaggeration and stick to correct
information, regardless of what it may be in the beginning;
therefore, these are the correct data"
When asked to comment on the news that brutal ethnic cleansing was
underway in Kosovo and that the Yugoslav Army had expelled two
priests from a Catholic church in Djakovica, Knezevic said he did
not believe in such information or sources, because it was proved
that "the American press and television, particularly CNN, was a
well-organised machinery acting as the forerunner of the NATO
strikes".
According to the Yugoslav ambassador, the NATO strikes were a
threat to security in the entire Europe.
(hina) it/rml jn