Appeal of Minister Filipovic because of hard situation of energetic
May 27, 1999

Belgrade, May 26 (Tanjug) - Federal Minister of Industry Dr. Rade Filipovic send an appeal to specialized and government associations for energy of European countries and to Directorate for Energy of European Union, because of hard situation in Electro-energetic section of our country, caused by NATO attacks.

It is said in the appeal that the section for energy of the Federal Ministry for Industry was your partner before sanctions in numerous energetic projects from the common interest. The same section is a receivership of total international cooperation in field of energy.

Talking about the going situation in Electro-energetic system of our country, we would like to direct your attention on very hard and risky effects caused by latest NATO attacks. The total breakdown of the delivery of electricity in FR Yugoslavia is already caused for few times until now. In the beginning, total breakdown in delivery of electricity was the consequence of new weapon of NATO (bombs filled with highly conductive fibers), and during the last few days destruction was directed to power stations and voltage net, especially on central spots with high voltage interconnections.

Unfortunately, in these situations, these damages cause total breakdown of voltage at all consumers, including those like hospitals, water stations, bakeries, cooling installations for food, traffic in towns, and of course at houses and all sorts of industry.

People are left without medical help, water, bread, city transport. Engineers and technicians in electro-industry are not able to reactivate the system in a short time, eventhough they work hard day and night.

Our civilians, whole nation are victims of total humanitarian and ecological catastrophe caused by NATO attacks on national power supply system. The influence of these halts in delivery of electricity causes different damages and Eco-effects.

On the other hand, our power system, which was few times in total collapse for a short period of time, and which suffered the latest destruction of high voltage long-distance power lines, transformers and power stations will not be able to be reactivated after new attacks in the future.

In the same time, new attacks on the equipment, including vital parts of the power stations and long-distance power lines, which can not be only removed and which need a long period of time for reparation even under normal circumstances, will totally eliminate the possibility for quick reactivation. Such a situation could cause final national catastrophe.

We hope you can understand all the risks of further attacks on our national power systems. We wish to appeal on your professional and human conscience to help, according to your role, in halting this kind of war against civilians.

We also hope that you have on your mind that actions of a kind can not be a way leading to the democracy and peace and of course putting the Energetic resolution into effect, making regional energetic market of the Balkans and future energetic development in Europe.

We really can not understand the purpose of such action of NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. But, that is not the most important issue for us. We can not understand how people from the western world do not see what is going on these days. But, if we do not analyze reasons for attacks and why are they being done this way, we still hope that you, as a part of old and future European infrastructure, don't believe that we are your enemies and that you are not only passive observer of this tragical situation.