Kostunica: Nato should compensate Serbia

Mr Kostunica does not recognise the UN court

Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has said Nato should pay compensation for the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.

Mr Milosevic still has a lot of allies in Serbia

The bombing was "senseless, unnecessary, irresponsible and largely criminal," he said.

He also hit back at Western demands that former president Slobodan Milosevic should be handed over to a United Nations war crimes tribunal.

Speaking to journalists in Belgrade, the moderate nationalist said the West had no right to set deadlines for co-operation with the UN court in The Hague, which has indicted Mr Milosevic for alleged war crimes.

"Some of the [bombing] damage should be compensated by 31 March, but this evidently won't happen," he said, referring to a deadline set by Washington to start co-operating with the court or risk losing vital economic aid.

The president told reporters that Belgrade had made no formal request for compensation for the three-month Nato bombing campaign, launched to stop Mr Milosevic's forces from attacking Kosovo Albanians.

Court's 'failings'

Mr Kostunica repeated his belief that any trial of Mr Milosevic should be in Belgrade, for alleged crimes against the Serbian people.

The case of Slobodan Milosevic will be treated, and must be treated, in this country

Vojislav Kostunica

Prosecutors are compiling evidence centred on allegations of corruption, abuse of power and the disappearance and mistreatment of political opponents. The police say they are ready to arrest Mr Milosevic when they are given the order.

Mr Kostunica, who is a constitutional lawyer, sees the war crimes tribunal as a political rather than legal body.

He said the UN court had failed to investigate Nato leaders in connection with the air campaign.

He singled out Carla del Ponte, the chief prosecutor of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), as particularly responsible for his tough stance.

Carla Del Ponte has clashed with Mr Kostunica

"Mrs Carla del Ponte says that there was not enough time to investigate the consequences of the Nato bombing of this country ... which [was] seen in 1999 on televisions all around the world," he said.

"Just because of that, the case of Slobodan Milosevic will be treated, and must be treated, in this country."

Mr Kostunica has twice met Mr Milosevic since winning the election and a popular uprising last October. Mr Milosevic still heads the largest opposition party in Serbia.

On Tuesday, allies of the former president said a new law that would cut Mr Milosevic's security guards to just one, would encourage bounty hunters seeking a $5m reward set on him by Washington.

The Serbian parliament, dominated by reformers of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS), has adopted a draft law providing a single security officer to any former president of the republic.

There were 114 votes in favour and 32 against in the 250-seat assembly.

A previous law introduced under Mr Milosevic gave former presidents and their families the life-long benefit of guards and secretaries paid for by the state, as well as other benefits.