November 5, 1998 (7:15 p.m. EST) No. 257

AXWORTHY DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER

THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA'S REFUSAL TO

CO-OPERATE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today expressed deep concern over the continued refusal by authorities of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The FRY authorities have refused to issue visas to ICTY investigators who were to accompany Chief Prosecutor Louise Arbour to the FRY. They have also explicitly stated they will not allow the ICTY to carry out investigations on FRY territory, including in Kosovo.

"The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has a clear responsibility under international law to co-operate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal's investigations into possible war crimes committed on its territory," said Minister Axworthy. "Canadian representatives in international fora such as the Security Council (of which Canada will be a member as of January 1, 1999), NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will insist on full compliance in that regard, since there can be no peace in Kosovo without impartial justice."

UN Security Council Resolution 827 (1993) granted the ICTY jurisdiction over the entire territory of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, for a period of time beginning January 1, 1991, and ending at a time to be specified by the Security Council. UN Security Council Resolutions 1199 and 1203, adopted recently, make it clear that the ICTY continues to have jurisdiction over Kosovo.

Minister Axworthy has written to FRY Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic to reiterate Canada's position on this matter. The Yugoslav Ambassador to Canada was called in by a senior Departmental official, who communicated Minister Axworthy's concerns.

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