US applies new sanctions regime | 14:11 -> 21:14 January 14 | B92
WASHINGTON -- Friday -- Washington has suspended aid to Serbia for 2005, withdrawn a number of personnel stationed in Belgrade and refused landing rights for JAT Airways in the US.
The US ambassador in Belgrade, Michael Polt, told journalists that the new sanctions were a direct consequence of the Serbian Government’s lack of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.
US consultants in Serbian ministries will be withdrawn, which will have an effect on reform of the tax and economic systems. All support for the national carrier, JAT Airways, has been stopped, including the possibility of direct flights to the US.
“We will be forced to withdraw US technical advisors from ministries. The cut in assistance will impact on US support for tax reform, the presence of Serbia in the World Trade Organisation, on political and economic reforms, which are needed to attract more foreign investors, and assistance for JAT will be stopped, and of course the possibility of JAT flying directly to the United States.
“Because of the reduced assistance, some of our American colleagues and there families will be asked to leave Serbia and return to America. Unfortunately, all this may have a negative impact on the confidence of international investors,” said Polt.
The ambassador said the decision to freeze US aid could be changed very quickly if the Serbian Government were to meet its obligations fully and unconditionally and arrest all indicted war crime suspects and hand them over to the Hague Tribunal.
“It can’t be some cooperation or partial cooperation, full cooperation over all indictees is needed,” he said.
The US Administration again repeated its assertion that former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic is in Serbia and that it is up to the Serbian authorities to locate him and extradite him to the Hague Tribunal.
Despite the new sanctions, there will be renewed assistance for the people of Serbia who, said Polt “have suffered enough”.
“We’re not going to cut a single program of direct assistance to the people. The Serbian people have suffered enough and we will continue to focus our assistance where it is needed. We will support the people of this country, its economic development and a better future for the population. We want to support the people of Serbia and we call on the government to do what is necessary for the country to enter the society of Euro-Atlantic nations, where there is a place for Serbia and Montenegro,” said Polt.
“Nothing without The Hague”
The US State Department had early announced that assistance to Belgrade was suspended.
“In accordance with the regulations of the law on foreign assistance for 2005, financial assistance to the Serbian Government will be cut after May 31, 2005 unless the US secretary of state confirms that Serbia-Montenegro has taken steps to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal.
“Those steps include facilitating the work of investigations, making documents available, handing over indictees or assisting in their arrest and full efforts to arrest and extradite Ratko Mladic,” said the State Department in a statement.
The statement, signed by State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, notes that Secretary of State Colin Powell, in March 2004, refused to confirm to Congress that Serbia-Montenegro was cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, which resulted in the loss of a significant part of US aid after March 31, 2004.
“Since the decision of the secretary last March, there’s been no improvement in Serbia-Montenegro’s cooperation with the tribunal. In accordance with his earlier conclusions, and in the light of the continued lack of cooperation, Powell has decided not to approve ten million dollars in aid for Serbia for the fiscal year of 2005. To that sum can be added a further sixteen million dollars which is earmarked from the budget for foreign aid for 2004. We are reviewing alternative ways of using these resources in accordance with the goals of our policies,” said the State Department.
The emperor’s new cooperation
In the meantime, the Serbian Government to this day continues to claim that it is cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, although the cabinet still refuses to arrest four army and police generals indicted more than a year ago.
According to statements from government officials, negotiations on their surrender are under way, and the prime minister and his cabinet frequently reiterate that the expect the war crime suspects to voluntarily surrender.
Belgrade not surprised
Meanwhile, the government in Belgrade is not at all surprised by the US government’s decision, stating that the US has been threatening such a move for several months now.
Serbian President Boris Tadic said that the Serbian government needs to “make a clear plan for the urgent solving of the problem of cooperation with The Hague Tribunal.”
“The sanctions on behalf of the US government will have an effect on the Serbian people, firstly on those dependant on budget spending and that it why I am demanding of the Serbian government, who constantly claimed that there would be no consequences of not cooperating, to quickly stop any further international isolation, economic failure and poverty.” read a statement from Tadic’s cabinet.
Foreign Affairs Minister Vuk Draskovic said that the US state department’s decision is a reaction to the Serbian government not carrying out political moves that were agreed upon, and reiterated that the move comes as no surprise.
“It is unacceptable to have our parliament and government adopt cooperation with The Hague Tribunal as a national priority, and then obstruct its own policies by protecting Hague suspects. At the same time, those who are not carrying out these policies are calling themselves patriots, and labeling those who are trying to carry out the policies as traitors.” Draskovic said.
Presidential advisor Jovan Simic told B92 that this move by the state department is the US’s way of showing Serbia that there are no alternative routes when it comes to cooperating with the Tribunal. He also warned that this is only the beginning and that there are more consequences pending if the Serbian government continues to do nothing, adding that further lack of cooperation will have negative effects in both the Republic of Srpska and Kosovo as well.
Former Finance Minister Bozidar Djelic said that this move by the US is an “old, familiar story” and said that it shows that relations between Serbian and the US are “not as good as we claimed that believed them to be.”