ZAGREB, Feb 11 (Hina) - Justice Minister Vesna Skare-Ozbolt said on Wednesday there was no information that General Ante Gotovina, who is wanted by the Hague war crimes tribunal, was in Croatia, and announced that arguments backing
her claim would be stated in a report to be submitted to the U.N. tribunal by the end of the month.
ZAGREB, Feb 11 (Hina) - Justice Minister Vesna Skare-Ozbolt said on
Wednesday there was no information that General Ante Gotovina, who is
wanted by the Hague war crimes tribunal, was in Croatia, and announced
that arguments backing her claim would be stated in a report to be
submitted to the U.N. tribunal by the end of the month.#L#
"We think the arguments we will offer indicate that according to our
information, Gotovina is not in Croatia," she told reporters at the
government building commenting on a statement by Hague tribunal chief
prosecutor Carla del Ponte.
The minister announced the council for cooperation with the Hague
tribunal would convene next week, after which the regular quarterly
report would be sent to the tribunal explaining Croatia's views and
presenting the arguments backing them.
Skare-Ozbolt declined to elaborate on the arguments.
She said she believed Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal
would continue to be good.
Asked if the chief prosecutor's rhetoric was the same as under the
previous government, Skare-Ozbolt said she thought it had changed.
"Relations between Croatia and the Hague tribunal's Office of the
Prosecutor have entered a calmer phase, the language is much calmer
than before".
Talking to reporters in Brussels after meeting the European Union's
High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier
Solana, del Ponte said that although there was no new information
about Gotovina, she still believed he was in Croatia.
(Hina) ha sb