DJUKANOVIC REFUSES TO TESTIFY AGAINST MILOSEVIC

PODGORICA, Sept 7 (Hina) - Montenegrin Premier Milo Djukanovic has refused to testify at the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic before the Hague-based U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). #L# "The Hague tribunal has requested that I testify against Slobodan Milosevic, but I have refused," Djukanovic said in an interview with the TV station Pink on Saturday. He added that was not among those Montenegrins who scurried abroad to offer evidence against Milosevic. "I have ended my battles with Milosevic, and luckily for me they were successful, and he now has the chance to prove before the tribunal what he thinks must be proven, but without me participating," Djukanovic said. The spokeswoman for the ICTY's prosecution, Florance Hartmann, has said that if the prosecution requests the trial chamber to summon Djukanovic, and the trial chamber does so, the Montenegrin premier will have to testify as the request will be binding. "The prosecution has not taken any new steps in that regard and is still considering what to do next. There are several options," she said. Should Djukanovic refuse another request by the trial chamber to testify at the trial, he would have to face consequences, Hartmann told Podgorica's "Vijesti" paper. Prosecutorial witnesses at the trial of the former Yugoslav president included Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and former Slovene President Milan Kucan. (hina) rml