Croatian Ambassador to the Netherlands Frane Krnic told Hina over the telephone on Thursday he discussed the initiative with the tribunal's registrar Hans Holthuis, and that he thought the tribunal would have understanding for the initiative.
Sentences handed down by the tribunal are served in 10 states which have signed an agreement to that effect with the United Nations -- Norway, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Italy, Austria, France, Denmark, Germany, and Great Britain. Seventeen convicts are currently serving their sentences in these countries, while 15 have already served them.
The decision on signing such an agreement with a country is made by the UN, but the Hague tribunal's opinion is unavoidable, which is why the Croatian initiative was first put to the tribunal, said Krnic.
Croatia bases its initiative on the fact that by referring the Ademi-Norac case, the Hague tribunal has shown confidence in the Croatian judiciary, the fact that it has been established that cooperation with the tribunal is full, and the fact that the European Union has launched membership talks with Croatia, thus recognising it as a law-based state, the ambassador said, adding that the initiative was a new element in the cooperation with the tribunal.