Price of Capitulation: $100 Million Dollars to be Divided Between Yugoslav Successors

The US Government decided to “defreeze” assets of former Yugoslav republic

The USA will released the blocked accounts of the former Yugoslav republic to the sum of about 100 million dollars; the accounts were blocked in the 1990s. According to US State Department spokesman Philip Reeker, the money will be once again available after February 25, 2003; the sum is highly likely to be distributed among the states which are legal successors to the former Yugoslav republic.

According to the American official, this project means that the relations between Washington and Belgrade have considerably improved. This will also make for economic stabilization in former Yugoslavia, Radio Liberty informs.

Recently, Yugoslavia actively started strengthening its relations with the West. As was reported this week, the republic is ready to open its airspace for NATO planes. A corresponding agreement concerning this problem was  signed in Belgrade after Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic and NATO Secretary General George Robertson coordinated routes of NATO flights in the Yugoslav airspace. 

As is stated in the document, it is hoped that the agreement will become “another important step in establishment of friendly relations between Yugoslavia and NATO structures,” Associated Press reports.
 
Ahtyam Ahtyrov
PRAVDA.Ru