TIMOTHY BANCROFT-HINCHEY: US SANCTIONS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA TO END

The “Washington Post” has quoted official diplomatic sources as being behind the statement that the United States of America is preparing a decree law to be issued this week, which will end economic sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Last week, the Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Goran Svilanovic, visited Washington for talks with Madeleine Albright (outgoing US Secretary of State) and members of the team of the incoming Secretary of State, Colin Powell. The aim of these talks was to “surpass the difficulties which appear in the way of our approximation to Europe”, said Svilanovic. Meanwhile, any attempt to try ex-President Slobodan Milosevic in the International Criminal Court of the Hague should prove fruitless, given that new President Vojislav Kostunica considers this an “ad hoc” body which is a partial and “political court”. In southern Serbia, British troops have arrested thirteen Albanian terrorists trying to infiltrate the Presevo area of southern Serbia. It is feared that the Albanian separatists in Kosovo are planning to break away from Serbia and include the Presevo area in the new republic, forming an independent state, which would create another crisis in the Balkans and a possible flare-up of another war. Economic stability is the best way towards political stability and the ending of sanctions could not come at a better and more critical time. Let us not hope that it is not too late.

TIMOTHY BANCROFT-HINCHEY Pravda.Ru Lisbon