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Putin, Kostunica Vow to Disarm Kosovo Terrorists
Both visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Yugoslav counterpart Vojislav Kostunica on Sunday branded terrorism in Kosovo as a main threat to the security of the whole Balkan region and urged the international community to do its best to disarm the Kosovo terrorists.
In a joint news conference after their talks here, Putin and Kostunica said Kosovo has become the source of "national and religion extremism" in the region.
Putin said the international community must act to implement a U.N. Security Council resolution guaranteeing security in the mainly ethnic Albanian southern Serbian province.
"No matter how difficult it is, we must do everything to realize this resolution," he said.
Kostunica noted the recent months of fighting between ethnic Albanian gunmen and Macedonian security forces is not only jeopardizing the situation in Kosovo, but also causing destabilization in the region.
The Yugoslav president also stressed the traditional friendship, spiritual and cultural origins between Yugoslavia and Russia, the stable economic ties with solid foundation in particular. He said that his talks with Putin was fruitful.
Putin said that Yugoslavia needs much more international support now than that in any period of time, and that Russia will make its own contribution in this regard.
Putin, who held talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Slovenia on Saturday, arrived in Belgrade on Saturday night for a working visit to Yugoslavia. This is the first visit paid by a Russian president since the breakup of former Yugoslavia.
Putin will go on his visit to Kosovo and is expected to meet the ambassadors of the 15 U.N. Security Council members, who are also visiting Kosovo.
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