UNITED NATIONS, NOV 2: Democratic Yugoslavia became a member of the United Nations on Wednesday, and promised to be ``a trustful neighbour''" committed to peace and stability after eight years of war and uneasy peace in the Balkans.``This policy reflects the vital interests of the Yugoslav people and is the result of the profound democratic changes that have taken place in my country,'' President Vojislav Kostunica's special envoy, Goran Svilanovic, said. He was speaking in the General Assembly shortly after the other 188 member-states adopted by acclamation a resolution to admit the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).Minutes later, members trooped outside to see the red-white-and-blue Yugoslav tricolour flag raised for the first time infront of the UN building on New York's First Avenue. At the flag-raising ceremony, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan paid tribute to ``the many people in the region who have suffered so much during the past decade, and in whose name a free and democratic Balkan region must be built''.The ceremony was held after nightfall because of the lateness of the decision in the Assembly and all national flags that are usually lowered at sunset were still flying. Earlier, the flag of the old socialist federal republic - the tricolour with a red star in the centre - had been lowered for the last time.The resolution to admit Yugoslavia was introduced by France on behalf of the European Union and 16 associated states. To applause from delegates and Annan, the Assembly President, Harri Holkeri of Finland, proclaimed Yugoslavia a member-state.The first speaker to welcome Yugoslavia, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Holbrooke, hailed ``a historic day for the United Nations, for the Balkans, for Europe, and indeed for the whole of the world''. But he immediately reminded Yugoslavia of its obligations under the UN Charter, saying it should ``understand that it should cooperate with the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia''. The tribunal has indicted Kostunica's predecessor, Slobodan Milosevic, for war-crimes against Bosnia and Croatia in the wars which followed the break-up of the old socialist federal republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.Holbrooke, who visited Belgrade last week, said, ``I was encouraged greatly on this issue by my talks with President Kostunica.'' He also called on the newly democratic Yugoslavia to release political prisoners jailed by Milosevic, including 1,000 ethnic Albanians from the secessionist province of Kosovo.``All of these prisoners should be released and all of the missing on both sides should be accounted for,'' he said, deliberately emphasising the words ``on both sides''.Introducing the resolution to admit Yugoslavia, the French Ambassador to the UN, Jean-David Levitte, said this was ``an important step towards reconciliation, stability and peace in a region that has been so sorely tested''. Yugoslavia's seat was declared vacant on September 19, 1992, after the old socialist federal republic fell apart, plunging the Balkans into Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II. When Serbia and Montenegro proclaimed themselves the new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), the General Assembly decided that the FRY could not automatically inherit the seat and should apply to become a new member of the UN.Milosevic refused to do so for eight years, until he was ousted in a popular uprising after trying to deny victory to Kostunica in the election held on September 24.Yugoslavia's decision to choose democracy had ``earned it the unanimous admiration of the international community'', Levitte said. By applying for UN membership, Kostunica had ``confirmed his willingness to break with the dead-end policy in which Milosevic had shut himself'', Levitte added. Kostunica, who took office on October 7, wrote to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday applying for UN membership in accordance with the 1992 resolution. The Security Council endorsed the application without a vote on Tuesday.
