VLADIMIR PUTIN EXPRESSES CONCERN WITH SITUATION IN MACEDONIA








MOSCOW, MARCH 5, 2001. /RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT/ -- President Vladimir Putin of Russia is concerned with the situation in the area of the state border between Macedonia and the Yugoslav province of Kosovo. The Russian president has appealed to world nations to take urgent measures to regain the control over the situation. The detrimental processes, about which the Russian side warned in advance, are underway in Macedonia now, said Vladimir Putin at a Kremlin meeting with the Russian Cabinet.


	After Yugoslav armed forces were pulled out, "power vacuum" has been filled with extremist forces, while KFOR, according to its status, cannot counteract the extremists, said Vladimir Putin.


	The Chechen scenario after 1996 has repeated itself in Kosovo, which is accumulating extremist potential to splash it out of the province's borders, noted the Russian president.


	Vladimir Putin also said that he had discussed the situation in the Balkans with Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski last night.