12/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of the opening of Slobodan Milosevic's trial before the International Tribunal of the Hague, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Peter Schieder, made the following statement: "The trial is of crucial importance to the victims of the crimes committed during the wars in former Yugoslavia. Without justice, wounds cannot heal, thus preventing reconciliation and last peace from finally taking root (…) The trial is also essential for the future of international justice. It will have to demonstrate that an international court is able to administer justice in an equitable manner, regardless of the political status of the accused, or the nationality and the ethnic origin of the victim".