Britain welcomes the establishment of a headquarters to arrest General Gotovina, the ambassador said after meeting the chairman of the Croatian Parliament's Committee on European Integration, Neven Mimica.
The National Security Council decided at a session last week to double efforts to locate, arrest and transfer Gotovina to The Hague, which includes the permanent work of a coordinating body at the highest operative level, consisting of representatives of the Ministry of the Interior, the Intelligence Agency, the Counterintelligence Agency, the Military Security Agency, and the Council for the Coordination of Security Services.
Of all 25 EU member-countries Great Britain insists the most on settling the Gotovina case as a precondition for the start of Croatia's EU entry talks.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said last week that given the current situation he could not recommend that the entry talks start on March 17 as scheduled.
Asked if it was possible that his government could change its mind in light of the appeal by President Stjepan Mesic and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Ramsden said he had nothing to add to Rehn's statement.
Ramsden and Mimica discussed a visit to Croatia by members of the European integration committee of the British Parliament's House of Lords and cooperation between the two parliaments.
The two officials described relations between the two countries as intensive, with numerous parliamentary contacts, particularly through the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC), where the European Integration Committee of the Croatian Parliament has an observer status.
Britain believes Croatia's role in the region is very positive and that the country has made exceptional progress in many areas, which has been recognised by the international community, the ambassador said.
Lord Grenfell, chairman of the EU Committee in the House of Lords, will pay an official visit to Croatia on February 23. The British official is expected to give Croatian parliamentarians technical advice regarding negotiations on EU membership.
Great Britain wants Croatia to prepare for the talks in the best possible way, Ramsden said.