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3 killed in missile strike on Chinese embassy in Belgrade

Amberish K Diwanji in New Delhi

The government of India has condemned the NATO missile strike on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, which claimed three lives. More than 20 were injured and one person was missing. A Xinhua reporter, Shao Yunhuan, was among the dead, it is learnt. Nato said it did not intentionally target the embassy.

Speaking to Rediff On The Net, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said any damage to diplomatic establishments, intended or otherwise, was to be entirely deplored. "The latest incident resulting in the loss of innocent human lives, and other untoward incidents only confirms that the fundamentals of NATO's new approach are very wrong," he stated.

The minister further said the latest incidence only proves what India and other members of the international community had been saying all along, that the solution to the problems concerning Yugoslavia is to be found only in means other than military. "Continuous aerial bombardment in the name of humanitarian issues resulting in the loss of human lives is totally unacceptable. There is no alternative to the path of dialogue and a negotiated settlement," he added.

The minister said that India remained concerned at the overall human tragedy in the region and the world could not ignore the increased tension and the potential for greater consequential instability in the region. Asked about India's stand on the sidelining of the United Nations in the entire operation, he replied that India had protested. "The government of India simply cannot accept the appropriation of the authority of the UN by one or some nations in the name of regional or any other initiative. For some nations to go down this path of unilateral or collective unilateralism would have very unhappy consequences for the future of the entire United Nations and particularly, for the UN Security Council," he stated.

He added that India had voiced these concerns in various forums including the United Nations.

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