Yugoslavia lodged a strong protest at the UN decision to set up "a separate and a central budget authority" for Kosovo, a Serbian province, and demanded this decision, together with all others violating the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity be revoked.

The protest came in a letter to the president of the UN Security Council from Vladislav Jovanovic, charge d'affaires of the Yugoslav Mission to the United Nations.

The decision, made on November 8 by the UN special representative in Kosovo, "constitutes a flagrant violation of the provisions of Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) of June 10," which reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Kosovo.

The Yugoslav Government "will not recognize decisions taken by the international security force (KFOR) or the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in gross violation of the provisions of the said resolution," he said.

Belgrade, which has made its relevant position very clear in its memorandum on the implementation of the Security Council resolution, requested that "all such decisions be revoked and that UNMIK and KFOR be enjoined to implement strictly Security Council resolution 1244" and relevant documents, he said.

Yugoslavia has repeatedly protested that various actions by the UNMIK, including the opening of the airport of Pristina, the provincial capital, and the introduction of foreign currencies into the province, usurp prerogatives of the Belgrade Government.