BELGRADE, 22 May (Hina) - Aide to the U.S. Secretary of State for Europe and Canada, John Kornblum, on Wednesday met the Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and asked for an immediate removal of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic from
the political scene and their extradition to The Hague War Crimes Tribunal.
BELGRADE, 22 May (Hina) - Aide to the U.S. Secretary of State for
Europe and Canada, John Kornblum, on Wednesday met the Serbian
President Slobodan Milosevic and asked for an immediate removal of
Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic from the political scene and
their extradition to The Hague War Crimes Tribunal. #L#
At a short press conference held after the meeting Kornblum
said that he conveyed two stances of his government to President
Milosevic. The first is that Karadzic and Mladic cannot remain in
their present positions of authority nor can they participate in
the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement. The second is
that the United States is determined to implement the peace
agreement.
Kornblum also said that he demanded the arrest of three
Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) officers (Sljivancanin, Mrksic,
Radic), adding he hoped they would be extradited soon.
The three officers were accused of having committed war crimes
in Croatia.
Asked whether sanctions would be imposed on Serbia, Kornblum
said he did not threaten Milosevic with sanctions.
Asked whether the talks included yesterday's visit of Ratko
Mladic to Belgrade, Kornblum answered affirmatively, stressing that
the appearance of indicted persons in public was highly
inappropriate.
Kornblum said that he would return to Belgrade next Friday,
adding the U.S. expected that all deadlines in the implementation
of the Dayton agreement would be observed.
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