Globus weekly says in its latest issue, due on news-stands on Friday, that Washington has sent a letter to all European Union member countries asking them to postpone the start of Croatia's membership talks. According to Globus, the White House has explained its request with the claim that Zagreb is not investing enough effort to arrest and hand over the fugitive Croatian army general.
Frank told a news conference Gotovina's status was the main issue in connection with Euro-Atlantic institutions. He said there was a whole series of other topis the US side discussed with the Government and the President on a regular basis, but that none was the cause of significant difficulties in bilateral relations. He added the other issues referred to Croatia's refusal to send troops to Iraq or to sign an agreement on the non-extradition of US soldiers to the International Criminal Court.
Frank said the US government's position was consistent in that it thought that Gotovina must surrender to the Hague tribunal and state his defence there. He said full cooperation with the Hague tribunal was a prerequisite for joining Euro-Atlantic institutions, and added that he called the news conference to correct some headlines and commentaries in Thursday's newspapers.
Frank said the EU and the US were agreed as to the need for Croatia to join the Union as well as to the need that Croatia fully meet its international commitments if it wanted to become a responsible partner in the community of peoples. He added cooperation with the Hague tribunal was one of those international commitments.
The ambassador said EU membership would bring trust in Croatia as a responsible member of the international community, investment, jobs, prosperity, as well as regional stability.
He added there existed differences among EU members, as well as between them and the US, as to what full cooperation meant. He said that when it came to membership, the EU would decide how and if those issues were connected. He added the US believed that full cooperation with the Hague tribunal was the ticket to Euro-Atlantic integration.
Asked if US authorities did not believe the Croatian Government when it said that it did not know Gotovina's whereabouts, Frank said Gotovina's location was not important to the US. He added Croatia had the obligation to locate Gotovina because the authorities had the best access to data as to who supported and financed him and by which means he communicated. He said no other country but Croatia had that responsibility.