ZAGREB, Feb 7 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic called on fugitive Croatian Army General Ante Gotovina on Saturday to "make the first step" and turn himself in to and answer the questions of the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
He said Croatian authorities would do everything so that Gotovina was granted provisional release.
ZAGREB, Feb 7 (Hina) - President Stjepan Mesic called on fugitive
Croatian Army General Ante Gotovina on Saturday to "make the first
step" and turn himself in to and answer the questions of the U.N. war
crimes tribunal in The Hague. He said Croatian authorities would do
everything so that Gotovina was granted provisional release.#L#
"I maintain that the most beneficial thing for Gotovina, Croatia and
the Croatian Army is that he answer the Hague tribunal's questions.
Then, he can have all our guarantees so as to be granted provisional
release, but he must make the first step," Mesic told reporters during
Saturday's regular meeting with citizens.
He said there was no need to arrest Gotovina if he turned himself in
and said he was willing to answer questions.
Croatia cannot be Gotovina's hostage, the President said, adding that
this would be the assessment of the Hague tribunal and the European
Union nations which still had to ratify Croatia's Stabilisation and
Association Agreement with the Union.
Those countries are waiting to see the course of cooperation with the
tribunal, he said, adding that Croatia cooperated well and had no
influence on Gotovina's views, being unfamiliar with his whereabouts.
Mesic declined to comment on an article in today's Vecernji list daily
which said Gotovina had voiced hope his case would soon be resolved,
claiming it was a "second-hand message".
Commenting on an interview the Hague tribunal's chief prosecutor Carla
del Ponte recently gave Croatian Television, in which she urged
Gotovina to come to The Hague and said he might be granted provisional
release, the President said del Ponte had stuck to her earlier
position and not yielded to any extent.
"Virtually nothing has changed, except for a little flexibility and
indication that if the general contacted the Hague tribunal himself he
might be granted provisional release," Mesic said, adding that "there
is a chance if he turns himself in".
Asked what he would say to U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
tomorrow in connection with the sending on Croatian troops to Iraq,
Mesic said he had not changed his mind.
Croatian troops can go to Iraq even without a decision by the United
Nations if there is a two-thirds majority vote in the Croatian
parliament, he said.
(Hina) ha