Most Serbs and Croats who wanted to create a Greater Serbia and a Greater Croatia now recognise that Bosnia is here to stay.

ECONOMIST: Bosnia ten years on

But his attempt to dominated the whole of the former Yugoslavia failed - as did his subsequent enterprise in the early 1990s to carve out a greater Serbia with the capture of Serb-populated areas of Croatia and Bosnia.

BBC: Bosnia war: Main players

In short, Milosevic has reason to believe that -- by obscuring the continuing, direct relationship between Serb policy and the Bosnian Serbs' malevolent activities -- further progress can be made toward his goal of establishing a "greater Serbia" even as he seeks relief from international sanctions against Belgrade and protection of Serbia proper from Western military strikes, should they occur.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The Moment Of Truth: The US Must Stop Serbian Aggression Now

In Moscow, Mr Chernomyrdin had been subjected to a chorus of denunciation from the foreign and defence ministries, both hinting that the ex-prime minister had imposed on Serbia an even greater humiliation than was necessary.

ECONOMIST: Peace, for now, in Kosovo | The

The SAA allows for greater links between the EU and Serbia in areas such as trade and on tackling cross-border crime.

BBC: MEPs back EU-Serbia agreement