United States to attend Donor's Conference

Belgrade, June 28 - The U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has made a decision on the US participation in the European Commission and World Bank's Donor's Conference for Yugoslavia, which is to be held in Brussels on June 29, it is said in the statement issued by the US Embassy to Belgrade.

Colin Powell made the decision following a phone conversation with Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, the State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said.

"Prime Minister Djindjic convinced us that the Serbian Government was ready to meet all international obligations and extradite Milosevic to the Hague Tribunal at short notice", Reeker told the press on Wednesday.

The US participation has been made possible by recent Yugoslav and Serbian governments' steps aimed at meeting Belgrade's obligations regarding full cooperation with ICTY, and Belgrade's willingness to extradite war crime suspects to The Hague, the US Embassy statement said.

The US supports "firm determination of the Yugoslav authorities to carry out economic reform", the statement said, adding that "the US aid will depend on further Yugoslavia's steps towards full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

US Ambassador Larry Naper will head the US delegation which is to attend the Donor's Conference, the statement said.