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Yugoslavia: Belgrade Admits Violations Of Iraqi Weapons Embargo


Belgrade, 31 October 2002 (RFE/RL) -- Belgrade today admitted that United Nations resolutions on Iraq have been violated by Yugoslavia. The government-controlled federal information service said in a statement that Belgrade has accepted the results of an investigation this week into allegations that the state arms dealer Yugoimport has violated the embargo.

The statement said that the report presented by the committee in charge of the inquiry found that violations were caused by "unclear regulation" of weapons exports.

The violations related specifically to the "rehauling and return of Iraqi engines for MiG-21 and -23 fighter jets".

The statement said the government has suspended all "military-economic cooperation" with countries under UN sanctions and banned all exports of weapons and equipment to those countries.

The scandal broke out last week following revelations that Yugoimport mediated a deal for the refurbishing of jet engines between Iraq and the Bosnian Serb Orao factory.

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