Despite the positive assessment, that remains not only our international but also national obligation because this is about the rule of law, Sanader said at a joint news conference he held with del Ponte after a meeting of an European Union task force evaluating Croatia's cooperation with the UN court.
Del Ponte told representatives of the countries comprising the task force that Croatia was now fully cooperating with the Hague tribunal. The EU has set full cooperation as the condition for launching Croatia's entry negotiations.
We shall continue to work until Gotovina ends up in The Hague, said Sanader.
He declined to speculate what decision the EU Council of Ministers would adopt about Croatia.
It is now up to the ministers to decide about opening the negotiations. I hope the decision will be appropriate. When and how the negotiations will be launched is up to the ministers, said the Croatian PM.
Del Ponte said she was pleased to have been able to give a positive assessment.
I am especially pleased today and wish I could say that Serbia and Montenegro is cooperating with the Hague tribunal as Croatia is, but we are still very far from that, she said.
Speaking of her visit to Zagreb last week, del Ponte said she first wanted to acquaint the EU with her assessment. Regarding her statement in Zagreb that she was very disappointed that Gotovina was not in The Hague, she added: Of course I said I was disappointed. I am still disappointed.
Del Ponte said that absolutely no one exerted any pressure on her to change her assessment.