The implementation of this task involves the permanent work of a co-ordinating body at the highest operational level consisting of representatives of the Interior Ministry, the Intelligence Agency (OA), the Counter-Intelligence Agency (POA), the Military Security Agency (VSA) and the Council for the Coordination of the Security Services, according to a press release issued by the Office of the President of the Republic.
The press release, signed by the head of the Office's public relations department, Danijela Barisic, reads that under the chairmanship of President Mesic and PM Sanader, the National Security Council held the session at which it discussed cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the context of Croatia's current relations with the European Union.
The Council decided to convene at least once a week.
The Council instructed all the competent state bodies to redouble efforts to track down and find the retired general Ante Gotovina and hand over him, namely to discover, in cooperation with other countries, Gotovina's whereabout outside Croatia and ensure his transfer to the Hague-based tribunal.
All the competent state bodies are instructed to step up further activities so as to carry out tasks which the Croatian President and Prime Minister have assigned to them.
This involves the permanent work of the co-ordinating body at the highest operational level, consisting of representatives of the Interior Ministry, the Intelligence Agency (OA), the Counter-Intelligence Agency (POA), the Military Security Agency (VSA) and the Council for the Coordination of Security Services, the release concluded.
General Gotovina, who is accused by the UN war crimes tribunal of war crimes, has been on the run since that court unsealed his indictment in the summer of 2001.