Yugoslav authorities request meeting with KVM

PRISTINA, 17 January 1999 - After the conclusion of a meeting with Yugoslav authorities in the town of Stimlje, General Drewienkewicz of the Kosovo Verification Mission said:

"As requested by the Yugoslav authorities last night, I have been at Stimlje since 0800 this morning in order to help the Yugoslav Government Judge carry out the investigation required by Yugoslav law. At 09.30 am I had a meeting at the police station in Stimlje, with Judge Danica Marinkovic and Police Colonel Bogoljub Janicijevic. For over 90 minutes I offered to help the judge move to RACAK, provided the Judge's party did not include any armed police. Meanwhile the KLA had agreed to allow an unarmed group into the village.

Throughout the discussion she refused to consider moving without armed police. I explained that I had verifiers in RACAK and would need time to withdraw them if she decided to proceed with an armed police escort. At 11.05 am the Judge informed me that she would go ahead with armed police and gave me no time to order my verifiers to withdraw. The meeting broke up at 11.10 am with the sound of small arms and mortar fire in the background.

I can confirm that all KVM verifiers have now withdrawn and are accounted for. I consider this to he a very provocative act and another breach of the cease-fire on the part of the Yugoslav authorities".