We congratulate the Croatian and Spanish authorities on their efforts invested in Gotovina's arrest, Rice said in a statement published by the State Department.
The United States hails Gotovina's rapid extradition to the Hague tribunal where he will be tried for crimes he is charged with, the statement said.
The United States also called upon the government of Serbia and Montenegro and the Bosnia Serb authorities to meet their international obligations towards the Hague tribunal without a delay, notably by arresting and transferring to The Hague Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic for whom the doors of the tribunal will always remain open, Rice said.
US Congressman Elton Gallegly said on Thursday that with the arrest of the ICTY indictee Gotovina the last obstacle to Croatia's aspirations to join NATO had been removed.
Congressman Gallegly said that Gotovina's arrest confirmed Croatia's claims that the fugitive general was not in the country.