Subject: US lifts sanctions on Belgrade
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 12:40:24 PST
From: C-afp@... (AFP)
Organization: Copyright 2001 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
Newsgroups: clari.world.europe.balkans,clari.world.europe,biz.clarinet.sample
Followup-To: biz.clarinet.sample


WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (AFP) - President Bill Clinton on Friday
signed an order lifting US economic sanctions on Yugoslavia but
retaining those that target former president Slobodan Milosevic, his
family and members of his entourage, the White House said.
Clinton announced the decision in a letter to Congress which
said the lifting of sanctions was in response to "positive" recent
developments in Yugoslavia.
However, the letter also warned of the dangers to peace that
remained in the Balkan regions and urged Belgrade to support the
work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia.
"We must recognize that the past and present capacity of
Slobodan Milosevic and other indicted war criminals ... continue to
threaten the stability in the Balkan region and the full
implementation of the Dayton peace agreement," the letter said.
The decision to lift sanctions is one of the last executive
orders signed by Clinton, who will step down Saturday as
President-elect George W. Bush assumes the nation's highest office.
The United States warmly welcomed Milosevic's replacement in
October by moderate President Vojislav Kostunica and resumed
diplomatic relations with Belgrade a month later.
However, Washington has continued to insist that Milosevic and
others accused of war crimes be brought to trial before an
international tribunal in The Hague.