Jovanovic: NATO aggression was aimed at land-grabbing of Serbian territory

BELGRADE - The objective of the 1999 NATO aggression on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) was not a resolution of any humanitarian or political issue, but land-grabbing of Serbian territory, and the decision to go ahead with it had been made long before, says former Serbian diplomat Zivadin Jovanovic, who was FM of the FRY at the time.

In a statement to Tanjug on the 24th anniversary of the aggression, Jovanovic said the NATO strikes had been aimed at establishing a permanent NATO base in the Balkans as part of the alliance's strategy of expanding to the east.

"After the aggression on the FRY and the establishment of the Bondsteel military base, the US and NATO have set up three military bases in each of Bulgaria, Romania and Poland and in the Baltic republics. Europe embarked on a process of militarisation and adapting to war needs. That was the trigger to...