President Milosevic talks with Chernomyrdin

During a lengthy and comprehensive discussion, NATO's aggression on Yugoslavia was condemned and it was stressed that it must be stopped and peace restored to Yugoslavia without delay.

It was noted that Yugoslavia and Russia are firmly resolved to invest joint efforts for a peaceful settlement of the Kosovo-Metohija problem, which can be done successfully only by political methods.

The two sides agreed that the only basis on which it is possible to find a political settlement is full equality of all people and all ethnic communities living in Kosovo-Metohija.

Chernomyrdin informed Milosevic about the positions adopted at Russian President Boris Yeltsin's meeting with top-ranking state officials on April 19.

Russia will make efforts further to stimulate the political process, believing that this can produce political accord on wide autonomy for Kosovo-Metohija, with full respect for the equality of the people and of the ethnic communities in Kosovo-Metohija and for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia and its republic of Serbia.

The meeting was attended by Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic, Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic, Russian Ambassador to Yugoslavia Yury Kotov and other Yugoslav and Russian officials.