Milosevic could face war crimes trial

Goran Svilanovic, left, is building bridges with the US

Yugoslavia may allow an international prosecution of former president Slobodan Milosevic for alleged war crimes, as long as any trial takes place in Yugoslavia, the country's new foreign minister has said.

The comments back up a pledge by the country's Prime Minister-elect, Zoran Djindjic, who said one of his new government's priorities would be to bring Mr Milosevic to justice.

But both men are insisting that Mr Milosevic will not be handed over for trial at the UN International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague.

Slobodan Milosevic still lives in Belgrade

Analysts say a war crimes trial in Belgrade would be seen as unsatisfactory, because of the fear that potential witnesses who would have given evidence in the Hague could be more intimidated by the prospect of testifying in Serbia itself.

The UN war crimes tribunal indicted Mr Milosevic in May 1999 for alleged crimes during the conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo.

The new Yugoslav Government has made it clear a number of times that will not hand over Mr Milosevic.

'Unthinkable' visit

But Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic - the first minister from Yugoslavia to visit Washington since Nato's 1999 bombing campaign - said he was planning to meet the tribunal's chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte in Belgrade.

President Kostunica: Firmly against the Nato air war

"We will fulfil our duties and responsibilities concerning co-operation with the Hague tribunal," he said.

His remarks followed a meeting with outgoing US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who is keen to see Mr Milosevic put on trial.

Ms Albright said she was delighted to receive the representative of a country which was a bitter enemy of the US until late last year.

"Only six months ago, a meeting such as this would have been considered unthinkable," she said, praising Yugoslavia's move towards democracy following Mr Milosevic's election defeat in October.

But relations between Yugoslavia and the US still have some way to go.

President Vojislav Kostunica remains suspicious of the US following the 78-day US-led Nato bombing campaign on Serbia.

At a 55-nation meeting of European leaders in Vienna in late November, Mr Kostunica said European countries should no longer defer to a non-European power - meaning the US - on Balkan issues.

Working together

However, Mr Kostunica's government has been discussing the possibility of a domestic judicial proceeding against Mr Milosevic on grounds there were numerous Serb victims of the former president's rule.

Mr Djindjic, in comments made just before Christmas, said Mr Milosevic would first face charges of corruption and abuse of power and could later answer to war crimes allegations.

The new government has begun co-operating with the Hague-based tribunal, agreeing to grant visas to investigators. The investigators hope Belgrade officials will begin handing over documents.

Mr Svilanovic had asked to meet US Secretary of State-designate Colin Powell, but officials said he was turned down because Mr Powell wants to avoid meeting foreign leaders until he assumes office later this month.

The Yugoslav minister will meet advisers to Mr Powell on Friday.