ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Feb 10 (Hina) - The Dutch government will continue the process of ratification of the Association and Stabilisation Agreement (SAA) between Croatia and the EU as soon as the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague
officially releases a report by its team of doctors proving that General Bobetko is unfit to stand trial, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, who is on a day-long working visit to the Netherlands, stated on Monday.
ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, Feb 10 (Hina) - The Dutch government will
continue the process of ratification of the Association and
Stabilisation Agreement (SAA) between Croatia and the EU as soon as
the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague officially releases a
report by its team of doctors proving that General Bobetko is unfit
to stand trial, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, who is on a
day-long working visit to the Netherlands, stated on Monday. #L#
"I have been told that the Dutch government will continue the
process of ratification of the SAA as soon as it receives a report,
not from the prosecution, but from the tribunal, proving that
General Bobetko is unable to stand trial," Picula told Hina in a
phone interview after hour-long talks with his Dutch counterpart
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.
Both chambers of the Dutch parliament have ratified the SAA, but the
Dutch government decided not to forward ratification instruments
to the European Commission until the Bobetko case is solved.
The Dutch government is not making the continuation of the
ratification process conditional on the solution of the case of
General Gotovina, Picula said, adding that he had informed his host
about that case as well.
"Scheffer told me that the Dutch government fully supported
(Croatia's) application for EU membership," Picula said. The
Netherlands expects Croatia to meet its international commitments,
primarily to cooperate with the Hague tribunal, this being one of
the key criteria for success in bids to draw closer to the EU, Picula
said.
(hina) rml sb