Speaking to the Croatian press in Luxembourg on Monday, where he was attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers, McShane said Gotovina should report to the Hague tribunal and face the grave charges pressed against him.
Asked if the setting of the date of Croatia's negotiations on EU membership would depend on the settlement of the Gotovina case, McShane said that if Gotovina ended up in The Hague there would be no possibility to delay or stop the start of the entry negotiations, and that once Gotovina was in The Hague would mean that Croatia was definitely on the European path.
The British minister went on to say that elements of the state and local authorities were not working towards Gotovina's extradition. He said that more than one person was familiar with the general's whereabouts.
McShane urged getting in touch with Gotovina, saying this would provide Croatia with a 1,000 percent guarantee that the start of EU entry talks would be approved, which he added was what the British and other EU governments wanted.
Speaking of a report on the cooperation of former Yugoslav republics with the Hague tribunal, which chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte would submit at the Luxembourg meeting today, McShane said that EU ministers always listened carefully to what del Ponte had to say, adding that she was the EU's voice in The Hague and that all attempts made to arrest Gotovina must be examined.
McShane said that if Gotovina was innocent he would be a free man who did his patriotic duty by appearing before the Hague tribunal and enabling Croatia to eliminate the last obstacle towards EU membership. He added Gotovina would be accorded a very good treatment in The Hague and would have a TV set, a shower, and plenty of time for himself.