US blasts Russia on Yugoslav visit

The United States has criticised Russia for allowing the Yugoslav Defence Minister, Dragoljub Ojdanic, to visit Moscow earlier this month.

Mr Ojdanic has been indicted by an international tribunal on charges of war crimes.

A state department spokesman, Richard Boucher, said Russia had violated its obligations to arrest him, and Washington was seeking an urgent explanation.

There has been no word from the Russian government so far.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service