The Government's statement reflects New Delhi's militant mood over the fact that after the end of the Cold War, the Atlantic nations are increasingly and unilaterally, setting the agenda for the new millennium.

But even as the Government was putting its statement together, Yugoslav's Ambassador to India Cedomir Strbac told journalists that his country was now seeking ``further diplomatic action besides moral and political support'' from New Delhi, against the ``open and unprovoked aggression'' by NATO forces.

In the wake of the continued United States-led air strikes against Iraq, India feels that the Kosovo bombings are a mere cover for Western nations to impose their will against a nation -- in this case,Yugoslavia -- which would rather seek its own solutions.

``India expresses its serious concern over NATO air strikes on the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,'' the statement said. ``Such unilateral moves, even if taken as regional initiatives but without the due authorisation of the UN Security Council, seriously undermine the authority of the entire UN System... Besides, this demonstration of NATO's extra-territorial engagement is a development that can only cause anxiety,'' it added.

The strength of the statement is also based on New Delhi's fears that if any community is allowed to get away with such unilateral action, the time may come when it is used to justify interference in Kashmir.

Even though India does not consider the truncated Yugoslavia (unlike Russia vis-a-vis the Soviet Union), the inheritor state of the former Yugoslav republic, its statement today is unambiguous about the fact that force is not the way out.

``The present crisis... can only be resolved through peacefulmeans and a solution found within the framework of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia,'' it said.

Strbac told journalists that NATO's aggression was unprecedented since World War II. It marked the end of the rule of international law and flew in the face of the UN charter which clearly stipulates that no enforcement action can be undertaken under ``regional arrangements'' without the authorisation of the Security Council. But, he added, Belgrade was grateful for the moral support provided by two permanent members of the Security Council, Russia and China.

``NATO's behaviour represents a criminal act of criminals against an independent country,'' he said, accusing US President Bill Clinton of either ``lying'' or being ``completely ignorant'' of the situation. He denied Western media reports that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic had rejected the peace talks in Paris.

According to initial reports, he added, five civilians had been killed and 30 seriouslyinjured.

Meanwhile, political parties here have condemned the air strikes. The Congress said that the military acts against any member state of the UN should not be resorted to without the sanction of the Security Council. ``The territorial integrity of a sovereign state is inviolable,'' party general secretary Pranab Mukherjee said.

Former Prime Minister I K Gujral said NATO's reprehensible action was worrisome for all those who were not part of this single military alliance.

The Left parties, who felt that the Indian Government's reaction to the air strikes was rather mild, said any vacillation, in terms of not being categorical in its response, would only provide grist to the mill of ``imperialist skull-duggery.''

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) noted that with the dismantling of the erstwhile USSR, the raison d'etre for NATO's existence had ceased. ``Instead of dismantling the NATO, US Imperialism is seeking its eastward expansion co-opting other countries into its designs to imposeits hegemony over the world,'' it said.

The CPI expressed its dismay over the ``sober and restrained'' reaction of the Indian Government to the air strikes.