Moscow

The use of force against Yugoslavia, resorted to in violation of the generally recognized international law norms, was qualified in the Russian note as aggression which entailed responsibility for the produced consequences.

The note called for an official explanation "in connection with the large-scale violations of human rights, basic freedoms and the humanitarian obligations contained in OSCE decisions committed by NATO members, officials and military personnel on Yugoslav territory."

Russia said that "no international legal ground can be found for the NATO attacks," and set out that the reasoning in NATO on the human casualties as accidental damage which could not be avoided was "unacceptable, cynical and amoral."

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on the NATO members to estimate the civilian casualties in Yugoslavia and the damages inflicted on the country's economy, and to announce the measures they planned to take "to cease and set right the obvious and extended violations of the obligations" they had assumed.

We hope that this note will give a chance to the Alliance members to take a new view of their activities and to return in practice to respect for the norms and principles of international law, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued in connection with the note sent to the NATO member-countries.