- All laws in Kosovo are equally valid for all.

      Q: So, according to you, local regulations will not be in place for them?

      - No local regulations.

      Q: Regardless who wins the elections?

      - You obviously do not understand well. You have to understand something. If you read this joint agreement, you will understand. Albanian national community will be able to run its affairs. The same will be for Serbs, Turks, Muslims and others. But for Kosovo as a whole, they will have to make decisions together on common issues. As for special issues - they will be able to make their own decisions.

      Q. In addition to security, will they be able to make decisions on everyday business. Except for security, I do not see why it would not be possible. As long as they are not independent, as long as it is within autonomy, I do not see any problem in that. But you have to withdraw your police from there and stop being aggressive. I understand that the KLA attacks the police, I understand that they are not perfect, I have no illusions about that, but you are smart enough to draw conclusions.

      - You should not ignore a simple fact. Police in Kosovo is from Kosovo. And Kosovo is Serbia.

      Q: No, they are from Serbia.

      - They are not from other parts of Serbia. Even if they were, Kosovo is part of Serbia.

      Q: But they are Serbs.

      - Serbs, and others. Why wouldn't they be Serbs. This is Serbia.

      Q: Will you let the people there to have police?

      - Members of police are people living there. Now, it is a process. Nothing can be solved overnight. Currently in 112 villages in Kosovo and Metohija there is local police, elected from local residents. These are all Albanian police officers. They take care of their everyday security. When we started this process - it was one village, two, three, five and now it is more than 110. We believe that it can go further. Everywhere, in Serb villages it is Serbs, in Albanian it is Albanians, who take care of security. But they cannot use force against members of other national communities.

Q. Aren't the Serbs doing just that? Now they have power in their hands and they are using it against the others?

      - I am telling you about our idea concerning the evolution of local police, once it becomes fully developed.

      Q: Will you withdraw your police?

      - All police in Serbia is ours. There is no other way. This is the police from Kosmet, it is ours, of the Republic of Serbia.

      Q: But it is Serb police. Are there any paramilitary units?

      -No, there are not. Never have been.

      Q: Are there any troops in Kosovo?

      - Of course, army is there.

      Q. Are the soldiers from Serbia?

      - Of course, some are from Montenegro, some are from northern Serbia, from entire Yugoslavia, as any other army.

      Q: Will you keep your army there?

      - Of course, why would army leave Kosovo. This is a part of Yugoslavia. Where would an army be if not on its territory.

      Q: Will you withdraw it from towns and let the residents run their affairs.

      - The army is not running the towns.

      Q: Are the barracks in towns?

      - It depends. Sometimes they are in towns and it is nothing strange for any county. Army is in the entire territory of FRY and its task is to be everywhere. It is its constitutional duty. We were exposed to attacks of various armed groups from Albania who tried to infiltrate into the territory of FRY, almost every day. It is a legitimate right of every state to defend its borders. That right cannot be disputed by anyone, not even your fellow nationals.

      Q: Tell me something about the extraction force in Albania. Media yesterday wrote that you and Holbrooke agreed on the deployment of these forces for the protection of international observers.

      - International observers do not need any protection. We guarantee their protection.

      Q: So you do not like the extraction forces.

      - Absolutely not. I do not like their presence at all.

      Q. But media say that you and Holbrooke agreed on extraction force?

      - No, we did not agree on the presence of any foreign solders on the FRY territory. If they want to have their forces in territories of other states, that is their problem. We cannot forbid NATO to place their force where they want. But on our territory, we do not wish to have any foreign troops.

      Q: What happens if they come to Kosovo to save international observers?

      - There is no need for them to come.

      Q: But if they come nevertheless.

      - If they come to our territory we shall consider it an act of aggression.

      Q: And you will fight them?

      - This is a legitimate duty of our army, which cannot allow any foreign troops to come to our territory.

      Q: That is why Mr. Holbrooke and you did not agree on extraction force which would be deployed in Macedonia?

      - If it is in Macedonia, it is not our affair.

      Q: But they are in Macedonia to protect the observers.

      - Holbrooke knows well that we protect anyone in our territory.

      - We never discussed police and army of Yugoslavia leaving Kosovo.

      Q. I thought that there should be less of them and that they should not respond to KLA attacks.

      - If KLA attacks, the police will certainly respond. Can you think that some group in the USA attacks someone and your police does not react.

      Q: This is not what they are asking you to do. Does your mandate expire in 2001?

      - Yes, I was elected in 1987 and my mandate expires in 2001.

      Q: You can be President of Yugoslavia for one term only?

      - Yes, in accordance with the Constitution of FRY.

      Q: Are you going to change the Constitution and enable another mandate. You are still young.

      - I have no intention of doing that.

      Q: You said once that you will not allow the internationalisation of Kosovo.

      - Of course, that is our internal affair.

Q: But you allowed NATO to fly over your territory and 2000 OSCE observers.

      - Yes, we allowed OSCE to verify what is true over there, this is good for us, we have nothing to hide.

      Q: You do not think that this is a change in your policy?

      - No, they will not be authorised to manage the situation in Kosmet, they can only verify the situation and report on it. They do not have the mandate to act in place of legitimate authorities.

      Q: What will happen when American troops leave Bosnia?

      - It will depend on what the international community will achieve before that. If the international community supports the development of normal democratic life and allows the authorities elected by the people to carry out their tasks, nothing will happen when they withdraw. I believe that they will recognise their common interest to manage their own future, and not to renew conflicts. Quite contrary, to restore their ties, to live normally, to co-operate, to develop economy which will satisfy their everyday needs, without special assistance from abroad.

      Q: I have always asked myself if the state will be able to survive without outside help, or will it be eventually be divided between Serbia and Croatia.

      - It will depend on what is done in the meantime. We have no need to unite Republika Srpska with Yugoslavia. Everything is calm now. The same people that lives on both sides of the river Drona can be well integrated, even if they live in two sates. If today there are no barriers between Germans and French, why should there be between Serbs and Serbs living on either side of the same river.

      Q: Since you know so much about that region, can you tell me your opinion whether Bosnia can survive, whether in the long run it will be divided between Serbia and Croatia?

      - If they are well integrated in the region, they will have normal conditions to develop their country. My political approach was to eliminate all barriers in economy in the entire region, as we did two years ago with Macedonia. We abolished customs duties, which was followed by a radical rise of trade exchange between FRY and Macedonia. That has nothing to do with integration among states. They are Macedonia, we are Yugoslavia. Practically, if borders are totally open, people can move freely, trade is free, no customs at all. What is more logical than benefits for both countries. The same is the case with Bosnia and Herzegovina. If we create all conditions for co-operation, the question where is the border will not be so important. We even started talks on the abolishment of duties with Bulgaria. We never intended to unite with Bulgaria. But we can abolish duties, if we open up, in market economy each enterprise will have more space to take advantage of market economy. We have to work a lot to be regionally integrated, that our economies be integrated. That will be followed by infrastructure, new roads, new railways, new communications and other things, but people have a common goal - to live in peace and affluence. Not to live in poverty and war. That will be the vision of the Balkans. That is why the international community should encourage co-operation between the countries of the region. This is something that strengthens peace and motivates people not to be isolated or confined to small territory. If everything is free and open, without barriers, then borders are not important.

      Q: When I go home and people ask me what is the most important thing that President Milosevic had to say, whether you in any way changed your policy, whether you recently decided to introduce any changes. Did you change something that people do not understand. For example, do you think that you can really reach an agreement on Kosovo?

      - We can reach an agreement.

• Only civilians were innocent who suffered the consequences of the horrors of war
• We have market economy
• Laws equal for all
• We do not arrange our country in line with the interests of others