Partnership with enemy for the peace sake

Croatian President, Stjepan Mesic says, his evidence concerning Milosevic’s case at the so-called international Tribunal in the Hague will influence presidential elections in Serbia, Belgrade’s Borba informs.   

The elections are scheduled for September 29; incumbent Yugoslav President, Voislav Kostunica and Vice-Premier, Miroljub Labus are the main candidates to the post. The Croatian president is sure that “Serbia voters should know who is to be mostly blamed for the situation in the country and why, the issue is really very important on the eve of coming presidential elections.” Mesic wants to remind the people of the military operations in Croatia and try to substantiate statements about the Yugoslav People’s Army being an immediate subordinate to the Serbian president.

Besides, Mesic will blame Milosevic for creation of “the Great Serbia”. However, this calumny has been already refuted by the accused. At the trial, Milosevic earnestly proved that he had always strove for peace and did his best to prevent hostilities in Croatia and Bosnia.

And now, the Croatian president is going to explain that Milosevic was defeated due to resistance of Bosnia and Croatia. And this is despite the fact that it’s currently perfectly clear that little was done at that time to avoid bloodshed and to keep the rebellious republics within the united state. And Milosevic can’t be blamed for this as he was the president of Serbia at that time, not Yugoslavia.

Even if Mesic succeeds with the accusations against Milosevic, this will hardly influence the choice of the Serbian people between Kostunica and Labus, as they are both opponents to the former authority. Mesic is likely to be disgraced, the same way all previous opponents to Milosevic at the trial had been. It is not ruled out that Serbs, who always followed Milosevic’s every word from the Hague, will sympathize with him once again and, in remonstrance turn down both candidates.

Meanwhile, the official Yugoslavia appealed to NATO for including the country into  the Partnership for Peace program. Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Goran Svilanovic and Yugoslav army’s Chief of Staff, Branko Krga left for Brussels to met NATO Secretary General, George Robertson. Leaving Belgrade, Svilanovic called upon the USA to support Yugoslavia’s incorporation into NATO. In his words,  joining the Council of Europe, initiation of a EU joining process and participation in the NATO partnership program are Yugoslavia’s main objectives in the foreign policy. The minister says there are no reasons not to strive for NATO. Thousands of people killed during the NATO aggression are not counted at that.   

Ilya Baskakov
Exclusively for PRAVDA.Ru