War crimes chief defiant

Relatives of Serb soldiers protest against the tribunal

The UN war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte has again insisted that Slobodan Milosevic must stand trial at the international tribunal in The Hague.

She was speaking for the first time during a visit to Belgrade, marked by the breakdown of talks with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and protests by supporters of Mr Milosevic, his predecessor.

She said the tribunal took precedence over all other cases pending against Mr Milosevic and expressed confidence that he would in the end be arrested and put on trial in The Hague.

But she said she was "disappointed" by her talks with President Kostunica, though talks with other ministers had been "positive".

I tried to come to a dialogue, but it was practically impossible

Carla Del Ponte

Mr Kostunica and his ministers refused to concede to Mrs Del Ponte's demands that indicted war criminals should be extradited to face trial in The Hague.

"I was somewhat disappointed because I just had to listen for half an hour," Mrs Del Ponte said about her talks with Mr Kostunica.

"I then tried to come to a dialogue, but it was practically impossible."

The BBC's Jacky Rowland in Belgrade says Mrs Del Ponte made it clear that she felt Mr Kostunica had only met her because he felt obliged to by public opinion.

Carla Del Ponte: Talks with President Kostunica broke down

"I cannot wait for years before the fugitives are transferred to The Hague, but I did not come here thinking someone would be transferred immediately."

She stressed that while Yugoslav authorities may want Mr Milosevic to stand trial on corruption charges at home, the war crimes tribunal must have first call, as it is ready for him.

"Our jurisdiction is war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. For these crimes Milosevic will come to The Hague and be tried there," she said.

Yugoslav stand

But Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic said after talks with Mrs Del Ponte on Wednesday that any war crimes trials "should take place on the territory of our country".

The first Yugoslav reactions to Mrs Del Ponte's comments came at the inauguration of the new Serbian Government.

Prime Minister-designate Zoran Djindjic said all those who committed crimes under the Milosevic regime would "answer before our courts".

But he also said his coalition would "soon develop a concept for co-operating with the Hague tribunal," according to Montenegrin radio.

Milosevic: Causing tension between the tribunal and Belgrade

Mrs Del Ponte reminded Yugoslavia that co-operation with the tribunal would be necessary for its re-integration into the international community.

Talks between Mrs Del Ponte and Mr Kostunica came to an angry and abrupt end on Tuesday.

Mr Kostunica expressed strong opposition to the tribunal's use of sealed indictments - in which the identity of the accused is kept secret to prevent him or her evading arrest.

On Wednesday Mrs Del Ponte delivered an arrest warrant to ministers for an individual indicted in this way.

Mr Kostunica warned that handing over indicted war criminals could destabilise the new democracy in Yugoslavia and warned against what he described as "selective justice".

Many Serbs feel that the international court pursues Serb suspects with more vigour than it investigates other groups in the Balkans.