Kostunica denies obstructing war tribunal

The Yugoslav President, Vojislav Kostunica, has rejected accusations that he is obstructing his country's co-operation with the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.

Mr Kostunica said in a statement that he recognised his country's legal obligation to co-operate with the tribunal, but he called again for a special law to regulate the extradition of suspects.

He was speaking on the eve of a deadline set by the United States Congress, for acceptance of the Tribunal's rules on extraditions.

Otherwise they have threatened to withhold more than $100m worth of aid.

The president's chief political rival, the Serbian Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic, said he would be extraditing some suspects to the court.

Among those still wanted for trial are the former Bosnian Serb leaders, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service