Yugoslav President backs war crimes law

Yugoslavia’s president says he will "facilitate and support" a law in his country to co-operate with the United Nations war crimes tribunal, which is seeking the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic.

"We are very firm about, and aware of our international obligations, including those with The Hague tribunal," Vojislav Kostunica said after meeting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "But we need a legal frame for that co-operation at this moment."

Kostunica has been vague on whether Yugoslavia will extradite Milosevic to the tribunal in The Hague, in the Netherlands, insisting that the former president must first face charges at home.

Kostunica said "legal provisions" were first needed to have "normal and developing relations" with the tribunal.

"What is a possibility - and I would say more than a possibility - what is future reality ... is actually that I would facilitate and support enactment on the law of co-operation with The Hague tribunal," he said.

Milosevic and his four top aides were indicted in 1999 by the war crimes tribunal in connection with atrocities committed against Kosovo Albanians. The former president was arrested on April 1 on suspicion of corruption and abuse of power during his 13-year rule and is currently in Belgrade’s Central Prison.

Kostunica was in New York to accept a Statesman Of The Year award from the non-profit EastWest Institute for his role in the October election and revolution that overthrew Milosevic’s regime.

After accepting that honour Kostunica touched again on the Milosevic situation, saying the West’s determination to try the former leader was hampering Yugoslavia’s efforts in dealing with other pressing problems.

"We have to cope with the West’s reluctance to give us a chance to build our institutions and establish the rule of law by allowing our judiciaries to implement national laws and to try war crimes suspects," he said.

Kostunica was today meeting US secretary of state Colin Powell, with the issue of Yugoslavia’s co-operation with The Hague tribunal almost certain to be on the agenda.