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Berlin,6Februar y003
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10117Berlh.
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His Ex~etlmcyPbilippeCuuweut ,
Registrar '
Intematiod CourtofJhtice .
The PeacePalace
Cmegieplein 2
2513IUThe- .
TheNetherlaads
Re:Case cone Legal@ ofUse ofForceflugoslawiav.Germmy)
Sir,
Ihavethehonour torefertoyour letteof30December 2002bywhich thewritlenobservations
of&e FederalRepublicof Yugoslavia,dated18 Deccmbcr 2002, dn Germany's Preliminary
Objecfianinthe caseconcerningLegality01the Useof Force (YugbpI~viuv.Gemany) were
transmitted.
Notwithstandingthe brevityof theseobservationsit isclearthat theyconstitutea formal
acknowledsemen totheeffwt thatheCourtlath jurisdictiaverthe ease.
The statemencontainedin point(a)impliethattheFederalRepublicofYugoslavia ,tthetime
when itbwught proceedingsagainsGmany on 29 April1999,was not apw to thStatuteof
theCow. Hence,pursuan to Miele 35 (1)ofthe Statuteithad noright tomakeuseof the
Cow for thcsettlemenofmy internationdlisputesitmighth~vat thattime.Thismeansthat
the Courtlacksjurisdictiorarionpersonae everhe case.The subsequent admission ofthe
FederalRepublicof Yugoslaviabas notremedicsthisdclect.Nor hasthejudgmentwhich the J& .I99 h6 the ha- roncu- ~pplidon of the Convetltioon rheP~Verrtianend
pllnishmenof&e hoe of Genocide(BosniaandHenegwina v. ~u~oslavlaP,reliminary
~bjection(Yugos1mIy.Bqmio wad EkrzegoviqJiEec,tc€helepdpositioa hijudgmentis
trsmtidy fo& on?he agument ihuths non-pcmbuship ~fthe Fded ~~ublgof
Yugodaviawas nota new factintheoenrc~mrztempIa tydArtic-61of theStatutewith-
*regardtothejdgmmt of11 July1996.lathecumnt pmceedvlgsitdw mt matterwhm&
lackof mmwp becameamatterofpubkknow1dge. In anywent,asisknown today and
hasbccnconfirmedby theFed* Republiof ~ugoslaviaobrervatioaof18Denmbs 2002, '
'
theApplican tasnota membQ of theUniteNationsand heme notaputy tothe.Srri nlrc
' ~pril1999.Norhasitbeenau&orizedinanyothemannertoappearbeforerhCourt
From theewplmationispoht @) ofmihebscrvsrlmsof1BDccunb~r 20Q2,it isdear ththe
FederalRepublicof Yugoslaviadoes not relany more on ArticleRC of the Genocide
Conv~tion a the basiofjurisdictioSince u.is-bvis Gemany,thatproviwasnth~only
compmmirrory clause whicthoApplicanthu invoked,nootherbasisofjurisdictiobeing.
conwivable,tmustbsooncluded&attheApplicatioiinadmissibeutiomrnatviae~5
I
'
I For thereasonsexplaine& Germanys PrtEiminar~bjcctionand inlightof thewinen
obruvslio*submittebythe~ppli&t, Gemanyrespectfullquests theGout toadjudgeand
1
1 deslarcLait lacjurisdictiwer he claimsbmught bytheFederalRepublicofYugoslavia
againsGtmy andthat. hence,theseclaimsare inadmissiblAlternativelGermany
respectfulrequeststhCourtto make r findintothe effect t'theFederalRepublicof
Yugslaviadoesnowish.togoonwithths pmcecdingsasindicatein itwrittenobswuions,
1
andhat,consequently,thcase is discontinu(Article of cbeRules).Gemrany hasno
Accept,Sirthe .rsuu~cofmy highesconsideration
Letter of the Agent of Germany