According to the daily, Vrdoljak said Mesic was "the spy" who was opening Hague processes which was why he refused to get the president the tickets for the final game of the Olympic handball tournament, if the Croatian team played in the finals.
Vrdoljak told Hina such a statement for the said daily did not exist.
The President's Office said in the statement that "Vrdoljak is obviously criticising Croatia for meeting international obligations" which included cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The statement said that " it is absolutely clear that by answering to the Hague tribunal, President Mesic only acted according to the laws of the Republic of Croatia".
The President's Office believes that the Croatian and the International Olympic Committees should voice their opinion about Vrdoljak's statement.
Vrdoljak told Hina his statement for the daily did not exist and added that such delicate statement should be authorised.
Vrdoljak stressed that the very clear and strict protocol of the International Olympic Committee, the host country and each individual country regulates the visit of the head of state to the Olympic Games.
"I neither sell nor give out tickets," Vrdoljak stressed,
He said that the newspaper article was a "pamphlet" and added he would never say a word for that daily as long as he lived.
(Hina) it