ZAGREB, Aug 27 (Hina) - Croatia's Foreign Minister Tonino Picula has said that the UN resolution on the separation of mandates of the UN war tribunal's prosecution will also call on all countries to fully cooperate with the
Hague-based tribunal. As a result, for Croatia it means that the issue of the accused general Ante Gotovina will again be made topical, but the minister has refuted allegations that Croatia will face threats of sanctions.
ZAGREB, Aug 27 (Hina) - Croatia's Foreign Minister Tonino Picula
has said that the UN resolution on the separation of mandates of the
UN war tribunal's prosecution will also call on all countries to
fully cooperate with the Hague-based tribunal. As a result, for
Croatia it means that the issue of the accused general Ante Gotovina
will again be made topical, but the minister has refuted
allegations that Croatia will face threats of sanctions. #L#
Croatian weekly, 'Globus', reported in its latest issue that Great
Britain has launched a serious political campaign against Croatia
before the United Nations because of the non-extradition of Gen.
Gotovina, and the paper forecasts that the campaign may result in
imposing sanctions on Zagreb.
Minister Picula told Hina and the Croatian Television on Wednesday
that the main purpose of the draft resolution, which would probably
be adopted by the UN Security Council on Thursday, was to separate
the mandate of the tribunal's prosecution for processing crimes
committed in the former Yugoslavia from those committed in Rwanda
as well as to define a strategy of the tribunal's work for the period
before it ends with its activities in 2010.
The resolution cites conditions necessary for the completion of the
work of the tribunal, including intensified efforts of the
prosecution and the international community as well as full
cooperation of countries in the region with the court.
The draft resolution, sponsored by London, reads that the Security
Council calls on all countries, especially Serbia-Montenegro,
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb entity (the
Republic of Srpska) to step up cooperation and fully assist the ICTY
with the extradition of the most wanted fugitives, such as Bosnian
Serb war-time leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, as well as
retired Croatian General Gotovina and all other ICTY indictees who
are still on the run.
The Croatian minister says that this section of the document
indicates that "Great Britain has shown once again the consistency
and continuity of its foreign policy, insisting on full and
unconditional cooperation of all the countries with the Hague-
based tribunal, and for Croatia it means that the unresolved case of
Gen. Gotovina will be brought up again".
"Therefore, the introduction of sanctions against Croatia is out of
question, but at the same time we in Croatia must be aware that
cooperation with the tribunal should be taken very seriously,"
Picula said reiterating that the solution of all problems were
important for Zagreb's bids to enter the European Union and NATO.
According to Picula, it is obvious that the innocence and
responsibility of Gen. Gotovina can be proved only in The Hague.
He said that Croatia's permanent representative to the UN in New
York would address the Security Council on the occasion of the
adoption of the resolution to explain Croatia's position towards
the existent cooperation with the ICTY. The Croatian diplomat will
also "express serious reservations toward the equating the level of
liability" of fugitive war criminals such as Ratko Mladic and
Radovan Karadzic with the indicted general Ante Gotovina, Picula
added.
What they have in common is only the fact that all the three men are
currently not available to the tribunal, the minister said.
Gotovina's appearance before the tribunal "would really remove
suspicions whether and to which extent Croatia is co-operating with
the tribunal," the minister said.
Asked about further moves of Croatia diplomacy towards London,
which has frozen the procedure of the ratification of the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the EU and
Croatia, Picula said that "a very busy September" was coming for
Croatia so as to assure Britain that its co-operation with the ICTY
was continuous and unquestionable.
The minister said possible non-ratification of the SAA by the
British parliament could cause very serious consequences, given
that there were final time terms when all EU members should ratify
that document.
In case only one country fails to do that, the obligation will
remain that ten new members of the EU (which are to join the Union
next year) ratify the SAA, and what this means for our final aim of
joining the EU, you can imagine, the minister said adding that the
prolongation of the process should be avoided.
"In this light the Gen. Gotovina case is carrying more political
weight. That's why we must do everything to persuade London that we
have intentions and political wishes as well as ability to bring
this case to an end," the minister said.
According to the Croatian diplomacy, October and November are time
terms when the British parliament should ratify the SAA so that no
significant delays may appear on Croatia's road towards Euro-
Atlantic integration processes.
(hina) ms