Zakharova: US must first to apologize for 1999 bombing

The United States must apologize for bombing Yugoslavia in 1999 and pay damages to the families of those killed and injured in the air strikes, and only then ask others to turn towards the future, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said, responding to a statement made by outgoing US Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Scott.

Scott told Kurir in an interview that 1999 should be "viewed in a broader perspective" in order for Serbia and the US to overcome the crisis in relations that arose from the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

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Zakharova said that in addition to an apology, the US should pay compensation to the families of those killed and wounded, as well as to those who "lost their health thanks to the missiles loaded with depleted uranium," TASS reports.

"Only once this is done and the appropriate work is the field is done, (the US) can urge others to move forward," said Zakharova.

In his interview for Kurir, Scott - asked how he views the fact that a fair share of Serbians still have more negative than positive feelings about the US, primarily because of the NATO bombing, and how that can be changed - said he was well aware of this and that maybe he would feel the same if he were in their shoes - but that neither Serbia nor the United States can turn back the clock.

"What we can do is look at 1999 in a broader perspective. I was trying to recall that US-Serbia relations throughout history have been mostly excellent, with the exception of the 1990s and the events during the Milosevic regime. Two decades have passed since then. It's high time for us to move forward and improve our relationship, and we have a very good basis for such progress. We share a common vision that Serbia has a place in the European Union," said Scott.

Watch: Zakharova again with Dacic, thanks him for the experience in Serbia

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)