Subject: State Department warns US citizens over travel to Yugoslavia
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2000 9:20:06 PST
From: C-afp@... (AFP)
Organization: Copyright 2000 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
Newsgroups: clari.world.europe.balkans,clari.world.europe,biz.clarinet.sample
Followup-To: biz.clarinet.sample


WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (AFP) - The United States has warned US
citizens of the potential danger of travel to Yugoslavia, despite
having renewed diplomatic ties with the federal republic on November
17.
The US State Department warned of potential hostility toward US
citizens inside Serbia as a result of the 1999 conflict between the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Serbian forces.
In a statement Friday, the State Department "strongly" advised
US citizens to obtain travel visas for both Serbia and Montenegro,
though the security situation in the latter is "generally more
stable than in Serbia."
While noting that "no specific threats or incidents of
harassment" had occurred in Serbia toward US citizens since Vojislav
Kostunica took over as president in October, it issued a strong
warning against travel to the Yugoslav province of Kosovo.
"The situation in Kosovo remains unsettled and potentially
dangerous," the State Department said, noting that international
Kosovo Force (KFOR) troops were still stationed in the province.
Despite efforts by the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to
re-establish civil authority there, infrastructure and institutions
including the criminal justice system were not fully functional, the
department said.