Milosevic Congratulates Kostunica on Election VictoryYugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic congratulated opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica Friday on the latter's victory in the presidential elections held on September 24, reported the Yugoslav News Television.Talking in a televised speech about the resignation of his presidency to Kostunica, Milosevic wished "much success to all citizens of Yugoslavia during the mandate of the new president." According to the Serbian Television, Milosevic on Friday held a one-hour talk with Kostunica. Kostunica said such a meeting showed the regime transition is undertaken in a peaceful way, which "is of great significance to the creation of normal relations between the on-going and out-going presidents." Yugoslav army Chief of Staff Nebojsa Pavkovic on the same day also congratulated Kostunica on his electoral victory. He said the Yugoslav army will unswervingly abide by the constitution, fulfill all the obligations endowed by the constitution and be ready to accept the wills of the Yugoslav people and all legal decisions of electoral bodies. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who flied to Belgrade on Friday morning, passed on to Kostunica a congratulation message from Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting. After another meeting with Milosevic later that day, Ivanov said the outgoing Yugoslav leader plans to "continue to play his role in Yugoslav political life as the chief of the Serbian Socialist Party." Yugoslavia's Constitutional Court on Friday confirmed the election victory of Kostunica in the first round of September's presidential elections. |
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