The Hague, 26 September: The authorities of Serbia-Montenegro (SCG) have informed the Hague Tribunal (International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia - ICTY) that they are unable to provide the transcripts of the FRY Supreme Defence Council (VSO) sessions in the period from the start of NATO attacks until the fall of the regime of Slobodan Milosevic, because the VSO did not sit during this period.

In response to the orders by tribunal's trial chamber president Richard May to supply the transcripts which the prosecution considers vital for the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, the government in Belgrade informs that "after the VSO session on 23 March 1999, no sessions were held until 5 October 2000, judging by the documents available".

SCG in this same document fails to respond to the tribunal's question whether prior or during NATO attacks in the FRY and the war in Kosovo, in 1999, the supreme command and the supreme command headquarters existed, or a similar body that controlled armed forces during the state of war.

The government in Belgrade requested more time to answer this question. The tribunal extended the deadline until 15 October. If these bodies existed, the Hague Tribunal requests that transcripts of their sessions be handed over to the prosecution.

In response to the Tribunal's request to also supply transcripts of all closed Serbian Assembly sessions in the period from 1991 to 1997, the SCG authorities recall that the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal has already forwarded these to the prosecution.

Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1243 gmt 26 Sep 03

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