YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA TALKS TO EU COMMISSIONER PATTEN AT THE MEETING IN BELGRADE, 2002-07-03 (photo)

Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica talks to European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten (R) during their meeting in Belgrade on July 3, 2002. Patten said that the European Union will not give in to U.S. pressure to water down the new International Criminal Court and can take on more of the Balkans peace mission if the United States walks away. The United States is threatening to close down the United Nations mission in Bosnia if the U.N. Security Council does not accept an American formula giving U.S. personnel immunity to prosecution by the war crimes court, which came into being on Monday. The EU says it is ready to speed up its timetable for taking over the 1,600-strong U.N. police mission in Bosnia if the threat is carried out. REUTERS/Ivan Milutinovic IM/AH