Biljana Plavsic and Minister Vladan Batic at Belgrade airport

Belgrade, September 6 (Beta) - The former president of the Republic of Srpska, Biljana Plavsic, charged by the Hague Tribunal with war crimes committed during the civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina 1992-1995, arrived at Belgrade Airport at 4:30 this afternoon.

Biljana Plavsic expressed her thanks to the Serbian government for providing guarantees to The Hague Tribunal and thus enabling her stay in Belgrade pending trial. She emphasized that she would not be in Serbia if the international community did not have faith in democratic reforms in Serbia.

"It is the Serbian government, which offered guarantees for my residence here until the beginning of the trial, that I have to thank for this event and this joy," Ms. Plavsic said, visibly moved.

Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic also expressed satisfaction at the arrival of Ms. Plavsic in Belgrade and said that it marked the beginning of recently announced cooperation between Belgrade and The Hague.

Batic said that the Serbian government was "very likely" to do everything in its power in the future to assist Yugoslav citizens indicted by the Hague Tribunal.

Ms. Plavsic was met at Belgrade Airport by former prime minister of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik, vice president of the Serbian People's Party (SNS) Svetozar Mihajlovic, SNS member Milica Markovic-Elez, and her brother Branko Plavsic.

The Court Council of the ICTY ruled last week that Biljana Plavsic be released to reside in Serbia until trial, following the guarantees offered by the Serbian government.