Romania broke Belgrade sanctions, says president

The president of Romania, Emil Constantinescu, has said that the Romanian authorities connived in violating United Nations embargoes against Belgrade during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

President Constantinescu told journalists in Bucharest that between 1994 and 1995 oil and train-loads of weapons were allowed to cross the border into Serbia.

He accused leading Romanian politicians, the police and the secret services of being behind the smuggling operation.

Mr Constantinescu's allegations come ten days ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections, in which he is not a candidate.

Ahead in the presidential race, according to the polls, is the opposition leader, Ion Iliescu -- who was president at the time of the alleged sanctions-breaking.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service