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Yugoslav, Serbian Officials Dismiss U.N. Court's Jurisdiction
BELGRADE, Jan 24 (News Agencies) - Serbian and Yugoslav ministers told the chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor Wednesday they would not extradite war crimes suspects, including former president Slobodan Milosevic, for trial in The Hague.
Serbia's prime minister-designate Zoran Djindjic described Carla del Ponte's demands as "unrealistic", while Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic repeated Belgrade's position that it would try its own citizens.
And to compound a frustrating day for del Ponte, angry protestors hurled eggs at her and later pelted her official convoy as she left talks with government ministers, although no one was hit in either barrage.
Del Ponte called for Belgrade to extradite some suspects indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) as a "goodwill gesture," said Djindic after their meeting.
But he added: "I think her expectations are unrealistic. It is too early in our cooperation to know how it will develop."
ICTY officials have ruled out holding trials for Milosevic and others indicted for war crimes anywhere but in The Hague.
The officials believe 10 more suspects wanted by the court are living in Serbia, including former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic and three former Yugoslav army officers involved in the Croatian war.
Djindjic said del Ponte had not given any ICTY arrest warrants to him or Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic during their meeting. But in any case, extradition could not go ahead.
"We have neither the proper procedures nor clear authority," he said. Belgrade had considered cooperation with the ICTY on the "basis of exchange of information," he added.
"We think that cooperation with the ICTY is necessary, since it is a U.N. institution," he continued. "The only question is what kind of cooperation should it be."
The government first had to pass a law on cooperation and adopt "certain procedures" before there was any "concrete cooperation," he added.
Later Wednesday, Yugoslav Justice Minister Momcilo Grubac also spoke of a new law on cooperation with the ICTY, at a joint press conference with del Ponte following their meeting.
"The current penal procedure limits this cooperation today ... particularly the parts concerning legal help and extraditions," he said.
But Djindjic conceded that del Ponte "was not at all enthusiastic" with Belgrade's timescale. "She thinks something should be done immediately."
Belgrade has insisted that the constitution, as it stands, forbids the extradition of its citizens for trial abroad.
Svilanovic after his meeting with del Ponte to discuss the fate of Milosevic and other suspects, told reporters: "I said the official government position is that the trial must take place on our country's territory.
Yugoslavia needed a "truth commission" to raise awareness among ordinary people that crimes had been committed and that justice had to be done, he told del Ponte.
After she left the meeting with Svilanovic, some 100 angry protesters threw eggs in the direction of del Ponte, although none hit her or her party.
They later also pelted her official motorcade with eggs.
Del Ponte, who arrived here Tuesday for a three-day visit, did not speak to reporters after the meeting with Svilanovic. Her spokeswoman, Florence Hartmann, said she would speak to journalists on Thursday at the end of her stay.
Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, told Wednesday's edition of the International Herald Tribune that to extradite Milosevic would destabilize his country.
But he added: "There should be rules governing cooperation with The Hague, and I would be willing to see him stand trial on war crimes and domestic charges here in Yugoslavia."
The tribunal's position received support Wednesday from the pan-European human rights body, the Council of Europe, which called on Kostunica to hand over Milosevic for trial.
Lord Russell-Johnston, president of its parliamentary assembly, expressed disappointment at Kostunica's reluctance to cooperate.
In Berlin, the coordinator of the EU-backed Balkans Stability Pact, Bodo Hombach, said Western countries should continue to aid Yugoslavia in rebuilding even if Belgrade refused to extradite Milosevic.
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