President Slobodan Milosevic marked the end of the war over Kosovo by telling his people that peace had prevailed.
Announcing the end of what he called NATO's aggression, the Yugoslav President said in an address: "The aggression is over. Peace has prevailed over violence."
He continued: "We have not given up Kosovo . . . The question of possible independence of Kosovo is closed" with the agreement reached with the international community, he said, adding that "this guarantee is also in the draft UN resolution". Mr Milosevic said that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Yugoslavia was guaranteed by the Group of Eight and the United Nations. In a political process to chart the course for Kosovo's future, "there can be only talks about autonomy and nothing else," he said.
He gave casualty figures which conflict with NATO estimates. A total of 462 Yugoslav soldiers and 114 Serbian police officers were killed during the 11-week campaign, he said.
Last week NATO suggested that some 5,000 Yugoslav soldiers and paramilitary police had been killed and up to 10,000 wounded. However, neither set of figures can be gauged independently at this stage.
In his address, Mr Milosevic continued: "Our first thoughts should be dedicated to those heroes who gave their lives for the defence of the homeland in a fight for freedom and dignity of our people . . ."
"The forces coming into Kosovo will serve the cause of peace, no matter which country they are coming from."
He said that the international forces to be deployed in Kosovo would be under UN auspices and will be tasked with protecting and caring about the security of all citizens.
Less soothing words were spoken by the ultra-nationalist Serbian leader, Mr Vojislav Seselj, who described NATO troops to be deployed in Kosovo as occupiers and warned of "problems" in implementing the peace plan.
"We expect a lot of problems in the implementation. Everybody there will make them, but most will come from the occupiers," said Mr Seselj, who stormed out of the Yugoslav parliament last Friday when it voted to accept the peace deal.