Iran warns of increasing ethnic purges in Kosovo

Iran warned yesterday that the strikes launched by NATO on Yugoslavia will increase the problems of Moslems in Kosovo.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mohammed Khatami whose country is the current head of OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) sent a communique to the organization's member states in which he called for confronting the ethnic purges, stating that the NATO attacks will increase the problems in Yugoslavia and expressing his anxiety towards Serbs' criminals committing crimes as they have committed in Bosnia.

Iran has called OIC to intervene to halt the ethnic killings in Yugoslavia.

In a communique to Khatami, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sherif suggested that a high-ranking delegation from the organization go to the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgrade and Moscow to oppose the current shelling of Yugoslavia.

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi also called on Moscow to intervene in Yugoslavia to compel it to respect the rights of Moslems in Kosovo, moreover, Kharazi called on Belgrade's government to keep its pledges, carry out the items of Yugoslavian constitution and grant autonomy for Kosovar Moslems. He laid on Belgrade the responsibility for the deteriorated situation.

There are also current intensified communications to hold an urgent meeting of foreign ministers of the Islamic communication group that emerged from OIC to discuss the Kosovo problem.

Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said he received a phone call from Kharazi, during which they discussed arrangements for holding the meeting, expected to take place in Geneva during the coming week.

Kharazi held similar discussions with foreign ministers of communication's group, which comprises Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia.