Wednesday May 5,1999

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At 1:35 p.m. the NATO enemy aviation bombed a convoy with Greek humanitarian aid in the immediate vicinity of Urosevac.

The humanitarian convoy, which was announced in advance, was also visibly marked, so that it was a clear target for NATO, which is endeavoring, by all means, to retain a monopoly on resolving the humanitarian situation in Kosovo-Metohija. It is obvious that this was no mistake, but rather a new planned crime against the civilian population in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

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Two criminal Nato projectiles slammed into the broader region of Nis near Donji Milanovac and Rujnik at midday on Wednesday.

No casualties in the attack have been reported and a transmission line in the village of Rujnik was damaged.

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Nato warplanes targeted the Bajina Basta region, Uzice and Pristina overnight.

An enemy aircraft which came from the direction of Visegrad was downed in the vicinity of Bajina Basta at 1.30 a.m. Nato aircraft overflew Bajina Basta and struck the broader region of Kadinjaca shortly after midnight. At midnight, criminal warplanes once again pounded the Uzice region. Several strong blasts were heard north-west of Uzice but there are no reports of the consequences of this attack. At 2.50, enemy Nato warplanes hit with four projectiles the Pristina excursion place of Grmija, the Mramor settlement and the vicinity of Mt Goles. At the same time three detonations rocked the region of Slatina airfield and the village of Belacevac populated exclusively by Albanians.

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Some time after 12 p.m., NATO aircraft overflew on several occasions the wider region of Kraljevo.

The Yugoslav Army air defences acted fiercely and successfully, so the aggressor unloaded two projectiles on the village of Obrva without tragic consequences. The aggressor attacked the region of Kopaonik and the village of Leskovac in Gruza. There are no details on the assault for the time being.

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Three NATO aggressor missiles fell on the region of the Pomoravlje district between 12 and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The projectiles fell in the wider region of the village of Vojska in the municipality of Svilajnac, on Donje Stiplje in the municipality of Jagodina and in Komorane in the municipality of Rekovac. There is no information about the possible consequences of these enemy assaults.

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Spokesman for the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry, Nebojsa Vujovic, who is also Yugoslav assistant Foreign Minister, on Wednesday said the issue of international presence in Kosovo could be solved only in direct talks between FR Yugoslavia and the UN.

Vujovic also said that Yugoslavia was prepared to accept an unarmed mission, whose modality, mandate and scope should be adjusted and defined in direct dialogue between Yugoslavia and the UN. He highly assessed Russia's role in the search for a political solution to Kosmet. The spokesman for the Yugoslav Interior Ministry confirmed that the Russian president's special envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin was due in Belgrade soon. Speaking about the conditions under which it is possible to reduce Yugoslav military presence in Kosovo-Metohija, Vujovic reiterated the Yugoslav government's stand that a precondition for this was for Nato to pull out its 20 thousand troops from Macedonia and some ten thousand from Albania.

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The aggression against Yugoslavia must be halted promptly, in order to change the course from destruction to construction, emphasized Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic in an interview to the Viennese large-circulation Kurier newspaper.

Minister Jovanovic stressed that this was not only an aggression on FR of Yugoslavia, but that Europe was carrying out an aggression against itself by taking part in this policy, which will undoubtedly have negative consequences not only on Europe, but on the UN too. Yugoslavia is offering peace, stability and compromise, pointed out the Yugoslav foreign minister, adding that international presence in Kosmet with a mandate from the UN should be agreed on in direct talks between the Yugoslav authorities and representatives of the World Organization.

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The Russian president's special envoy on Yugoslavia, Viktor Chernomyrdin, said in Moscow on Wednesday that after the talks in America he viewed the settlement of the Kosmet problem with more optimism.

On his return from Washington, Chernomyrdin said that a higher degree of cohesion concerning the Kosmet problem had been achieved between Washington and Moscow. Chernomyrdin said he would submit a report to Russian President Boris Yeltsin and that the stands and agreements reached in Washington would be reviewed during Wednesday's visit by the US president and Secretary of State to Europe, as well as the GROUP 8 countries' foreign ministers' session to be held in Bonn on Thursday. Russia's stance that urgent is the cessation of combat activities in Kosmet, the return of refugees and guarantees for their security remains unchanged, stressed the Russian head-of-state's special envoy, pointing to the necessity of urgently putting a halt to the war. According to Chernomyrdin, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was never against international presence in Kosovo which is to guarantee safety to refugees and their life in the province.

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The chairman of the Yugoslav Assembly's Chamber of Republics, Srdja Bozovic, had talks at the federal parliament on Wednesday, prior to his trip to Ukraine, with this country's ambassador to Yugoslavia, Volodimir Furkalov.

Speaking to Ambassador Furkalov, Bozovic pointed out that the Yugoslav state leadership was in favor of a peaceful and political resolution of the Kosmet crisis, with the southern Serbian province being granted the broadest possible autonomy within Serbia and Yugoslavia. He pointed out that since the beginning of the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia, 630 thousand people have left their homes, including Serbs, Albanians, Romanies, Gorancies and members of other nationalities. According to Bozovic, Yugoslavia supports the missionary role of Russia and Ukraine in resolving the crisis and stationing peace forces that will oversee the implementation of a political agreement.

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The Belarus National Assembly's House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously upheld the Yugoslav Assembly's decision of April 12 on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's inclusion in the Union of Belarus and Russia, reported the Russian Itar Tass news agency.

The adopted resolution calls on Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and the Belarus government thoroughly to review all the aspects concerning the Yugoslav Assembly's decision.

Belarus Foreign Minister Ural Latipov said that steps towards the creation of a Union of Russia, Belarus and Yugoslavia could become a factor that would check the escalation of NATO's military operations against Yugoslavia. He stressed that Yugoslavia was currently in greater need of true assistance, than just of being included in the Union. Latipov assessed that it was currently only Russia and Belarus that were offering true support to Yugoslavia.

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Security Council consultations on the Kosmet crisis and a solution to the situation caused by Nato's aggression against Yugoslavia were marked by the UN's resolve actively to be engaged in the process of settling the crisis.

Chinese ambassador to the UN Chin Huasun told the press following the consultations that China welcomed efforts being invested in the search for a political solution to the Kosmet problem. He underlined China was confident the UN should play an important and constructive role in the process. It was once again confirmed that conflicts could not be resolved with the use of force, Huasun said and added Nato should put an immediate halt to the aggression against FR Yugoslavia in order to create necessary conditions for a political solution.

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German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said a meeting of foreign ministers of G-8 was due on Thursday in Bonn to deal with the situation in Kosovo-Metohija.

Fischer told the European Parliament that prior to the Bonn meeting, political directors of G-8 including the US, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Russia would once against rally in Bonn.

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The US Senate did not endorse a resolution that would give President Bill Clinton a free hand in his further aggression against Yugoslavia.

Seventy eight out of a total of 100 senators voted against the resolution. Republican majority leader in the Senate, Trent Lott, said that the resolution did not correspond to the course of developments regarding the crisis caused by NATO's aggression against Yugoslavia. He pointed out that the resolution was wrong, especially at a moment when talks were being conducted on a political resolution of the crisis.

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The death of two US crewmen in a crash of an an Apache attack helicopter in northern Albania dominated President Bill Clinton's three-hour-long visit to Brussels.

No official statement on the talks with Nato leaders in Brussels has been released yet nor has Clinton held a press conference. Clinton saw the Secretary General of Nato Javier Solana and commander-in-chief Wesley Clark behind closed doors in Nato headquarters. The US President was briefed on the occasion about the details of the incident in Albania and the course of military operations as Nato propaganda labels the brutal bombing of civilian targets in Yugoslavia. Clinton acquainted Nato leaders with the details of the talks with the Russian President's Balkans envoy Viktor Chernomyrdin.

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US President Bill Clinton arrived on Wednesday at noon from Brussels in Spangdahlem, where he is starting his two-day visit to Germany.

Apart from Spangdahlem, which is located in the Reinland Pfalz province, Clinton also visited on Wednesday the US military base in Ramstein, in the same province. Taking off from the US military base in Ramstein on a daily basis are 12 F-117 bombers, killing, with their deadly load, innocent civilians and razing civilian facilities throughout Yugoslavia. The official part of Clinton's visit is planned for Thursday, when he is to meet with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Ways for resolving the crisis in Kosovo-Metohija are expected to be reviewed during the talks.

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US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov will meet in Bonn on Thursday, prior to the G8 ministerial meeting, in an attempt to bring closer the stands of their countries on ways for resolving the crisis in Kosovo-Metohija, Tanjug has learned in Bonn.

The goal of the G8 foreign ministers' meeting is to draft a UN Security Council Resolution on resolving the problem of Kosovo-Metohija. Special importance is attached to the meeting in view of the fact that US President Bill Clinton is currently also in Germany. On Thursday, after the G8 ministerial meeting, he will discuss the problem of Kosovo-Metohija with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

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Macedonian Parliament Speaker Savo Klimovski and the deputy speaker of the Russian Duma, Sergei Baburin, expressed in Skopje on Wednesday optimism concerning the soon cessation of NATO's aggression on Yugoslavia and finding a peaceful solution to the Kosovo-Metohija crisis.

As stated after the talks between Klimovski and Baburin, the Russian diplomatic initiative will bring peace to Yugoslavia very soon, as there are realistic chances and readiness for this. The Macedonian side on Wednesday again confirmed that the territory of this country could not be used for the operations of the deployed NATO troops against other neighbouring countries, including Yugoslavia, says a statement from the Macedonian Parliament's information service.

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The best solution would be if Nato put an immediate halt to the bombing of Yugoslavia, UN special rapporteur for human rights Yiri Dinstbier said on return from his Balkan tour, Czech news agency CCTK said.

He added bombs were not only destroying human lives but decades of building the Yugoslav economy. Dinstbier condemned the aggression against Yugoslavia and underlined Nato had not foreseen the bombing would cause a surge of refugees and strong resistance from the Yugoslav Army and nation.

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At its session on Wednesday, the Serbian government, presided over by Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic, reviewed the realization of the spring sowing.

It was pointed out that spring agricultural works were being successfully carried out in their entirety, so that the spaces encompassed by the sowing were larger than planned. Fully carried out has been the sowing of cereals, forage crops and sugar beat, while the sowing of corn, vegetables, sunflower and soya is being intensively carried out in accordance with the agricultural engineering deadlines, announced the republican information ministry. Diesel fuel for the needs of the sowing and other agricultural works is being delivered regularly, according to the dynamics of the agricultural works.

The government also reviewed the preparations and realization of measures of the economic-welfare program for employment and the reconstruction of companies destroyed in the war. It was assessed that speedily provided was being emergency assistance for employees in factories which are not able to continue production due to devastation.

The government also reviewed the situation in the electric power system, created due to the aggressor's actions against the most important electricity transmission facilities. It was determined that necessary measures have been taken for the purpose of eliminating the consequences of the aggressors' activities.

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In war-time conditions, civilian authorities are taking all necessary measures for the normalization of life in the province, it was said at a meeting of the chairman of the provisional executive council of Kosovo-Metohija, Zoran Andjelkovic, with representatives of civilian defence headquarters in the Kosovoska Mitrovica district.

Andjelkovic underlined at this moment it was necessary to ensure enough seeds and fuel for spring sowing and to distribute humanitarian aid to priorities in Kosovo-Metohija.

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Deputy secretary general of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, Margaret Walstrom, said on Tuesday after having visited Surdulica, which underwent a fierce attack by the NATO aggressors last Tuesday, that the consequences of the destruction were tragic for the population.

When you see the tragic consequences of these events, you wonder why such actions took place at all, and you are extremely saddened, said Walstrom. She toured locations in the town center and saw for herself that enemy projectiles had targeted exclusively civilian housing facilities. The Red Cross will do everything it can and as soon as possible financially to assist those afflicted, but it is only time that can heal the psychological wounds, said Margaret Walstrom.

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The International Journalist Federation with headquarters in Brussels is "shocked by NATO's decision to bomb Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS), TV Novi Sad and other media in Yugoslavia, as there is no justification or explanation for journalists being assault targets", the federation's secretary general Eidan Weit said in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Weit stressed that war cannot be won by murdering journalists and media, and that what was done to RTS was a horrible and terrible mistake and carelessness. He also pointed out that in question was a precedent which seriously compromised the journalist profession as a whole. Weit recalled that the International Journalist Federation had condemned the bombing of RTS, describing it as a ruthless and impertinent action.

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Trucks intended for delivering humanitarian aid to refugees are supplying the terrorist Kosovo Liberation Army organization with arms, and instead of food, an entire arsenal of weapons is placed in transport means of the International Red Cross.

This shocking news was published on Wednesday morning by the leader Lisbon radio station TSF, stressing that, involved in such sordid affairs are mafia organizations from Albania, which are connected with the Italian underground. Red Cross trucks are used as arms transporters. Recently, one such convoy set off from Switzerland and, for unknown reasons, was not inspected. Correspondents of the Portuguese dailies PUBLICO and DIARIO DE NOTICIAS report that Ankona has become the port of departure for volunteer mercenaries, alleged Kosovo patriots living in the United States and other countries.

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Americans of Serbian descent on Wednesday addressed an open letter to US President Bill Clinton severely condemning Nato's aggression against Yugoslavia.

The most massive organizations and institutions of American Serbs seek Clinton immediately to halt the bombing and deceits and embark on negotiation in line with international law. The letter says that the Serbs living in America are against this war, unauthorized by US Congress, in which Clinton and his administration treats Yugoslavia worse than Hitler did in 1941. FR Yugoslavia has invaded no country or Nato member states and there is no justification for this aggression, the letter warns and adds this clash has also gained characteristics of a chemical and nuclear war.

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Chris Stone, one of the three captured US NATO soldiers released by President Slobodan Milosevic on Sunday, May 2, has written a thank you note to Yugoslav military bodies.

The note says: ~To all the Serbian guards at this prison. Thank you for your kindness and respect. I have much liking for Serbian people after this and I will continue to pray to God for peace and an end to this war. Thank you mostly for the cigarettes you have given me! God bless you.~

He also wrote in the Serbian language: ~Thank you. You are very kind~.

He ended his note with: Sincerely, Chris Stone ~Slobodan~ (with Slobodan being a Serbian name meaning ~free~).

Stone handed this note to his former guards with the request for it to be published when he and his fellow soldiers leave Yugoslavia.

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The NATO aggression against Yugoslavia is into its 43rd day, while throughout the world protests continue at which Yugoslavs and their friends express their objection to the bombardment of Yugoslavia, requesting the urgent cessation of the aggression. Protests were held on Wednesday in Vienna, Bratislawa, Copenhagen and other cities throughout the world.

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Protest rallies, as an expression of dissatisfaction and revolt against NATO's aggression on Yugoslavia continue in numerous towns throughout Serbia.

Despite the air raid alert, on Wednesday, Belgraders attended the 35th protest concert under the motto THE SONG HAS SUSTAINED US. Popular Yugoslav singer Dragan Kojic - Keba held a concert in Republic Square. The Symphony Orchestra of Radio and Television of Serbia performed at the Kolarac Hall as part of the series of concerts entitled WITH MUSIC AGAINST WAR, and at the Serbian National Library, the 1999 DESANKA MAKSIMOVIC life achievement poetry award was presented to Yugoslav writer Milovan Danojlic.

Copyright (C.) Radio Yugoslavia