Milosevic 'on trial in two weeks'

Djindjic: Co-operation with the Hague "in a few months"

The Serbian Government has given strong indications that it is preparing to put the former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic, on trial.

On a visit to Washington, Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic said Serbia would appoint judges to oversee an investigation within a few days and would indict Mr Milosevic within two weeks.

But Mr Djindjic did not say if Mr Milosevic would be charged with war crimes.

Putting Milosevic on trial is a sensitive issue in Serbia

The current Yugoslav president, Vojislav Kostunica, has already turned down a request from the international tribunal in The Hague for Mr Milosevic to be extradited to face war crimes charges.

The former Yugoslav leader, overthrown last October, has been charged with war crimes by the tribunal in connection with his armed forces' actions in Kosovo in 1999.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, Mr Djindjic said he wanted Mr Milosevic to go through the Serbian justice system first.

But he said he was prepared to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), although he did not detail what form this co-operation would take.

An attorney-general and judges to supervise an investigation would be appointed next week, the Serbian prime minister said, and they would begin this inquiry "immediately".

Mr Djindjic said: "In 10 days or two weeks, we will have some results formally. We have some evidence now, of course, but we want to do this in a legal way."

Asked about the international war crimes court, he said: "In a few months (we will) start to co-operate with The Hague tribunal to connect these two justices, internal justice and external justice."

Aid linked to co-operation

Mr Djindjic's remarks came as two senior US senators warned that future American aid depended on the new government in Belgrade working with the war crimes tribunal.

After meeting with the Yugoslav president, Vojislav Kostunica, Senators Joseph Lieberman and John McCain said Belgrade had to hand over Slobodan Milosevic for trial in The Hague.

"US aid including a first package of $100 million depends on co-operation with the ICTY," said Mr Lieberman, who was the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in last year's US election.