"Theodor Meron's report was positive, I believe that it is was objective and that the tribunal's president appreciates the headway Croatia has made in cooperation with the tribunal, in the field of judicial reform and adjustment of its legislation so that it could take over cases from the tribunal," the minister told Hina on Tuesday.
"Croatia is evidently the only example of good cooperation and I would say that it has set an example to others," Skare Ozbolt said.
Asked when she expected the transfer of first cases from the Hague tribunal to local courts, the minister answered that discussions on the first case were being held by a special trial chamber of the tribunal.
"The only question is when the trial chamber will make a decision on the transfer of the first case, and this is the case of generals Rahim Ademi and Mirko Norac," she said, declining to speculate on the exact date.
She only said that "the procedure is nearing completion".
Asked to clarify her statement given earlier in the day that cooperation with the Hague tribunal, as the most important obligation to be met by her ministry on Croatia's road towards the European Union, "will soon be carried out", Skare Ozbolt said that there were no outstanding issues in relations with the tribunal, except for the case of the runaway general Ante Gotovina.
"I believe that we shall close that outstanding issue one day as we are cooperating well with the tribunal," the minister said, adding that her country was doing all it could to solve that problem.
On Monday, Meron informed the UN General Assembly that Croatia had significantly improved cooperation with the UN court, and called on Croatian authorities to do their utmost to ensure apprehension and extradition of General Gotovina.
Meron submitted the report on the tribunal's work and on the cooperation of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia and Montenegro with the tribunal. Speaking of Croatia, Meron said that although cooperation on the part of the authorities had improved considerably, the tribunal expected them to make every effort until Gotovina was in The Hague.
Speaking of the training of court officials in former Yugoslav countries for taking over some cases referring to low- and medium-ranked indictees, as envisaged by the Hague tribunal's exit strategy by 2010, Meron said major headway had been made over the past year. Speaking of the tribunal's efforts to help preparations for the hand-over of cases to national courts, he commended Croatia in particular, saying that during his visit earlier this month he was impressed by the increasing professionalism at the Zagreb County Court and the Supreme Court.