ZAGREB TO INTENSIFY CONTACTS WITH LONDON - FOREIGN MINISTER

ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - The postponement of the ratification of Croatia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU in the British parliament could have serious repercussions so in the autumn Zagreb will intensify diplomatic contacts with London, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said on Friday. #L# "Official London should be won over to start the SAA ratification process. Further delays could have serious repercussions because it would make Croatia be late in fulfilling other commitments. That's why diplomatic contacts will be intensified in September in order to assure the Britons that Croatia is cooperating with the Hague tribunal," Picula told reporters after talks with his Czech counterpart Cyril Svoboda. Great Britain has sponsored U.N. Security Council Resolution 1503 which, among other things, called on all countries, notably Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to intensify cooperation and extend all-round assistance to the Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by surrendering all indictees, especially Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, and Ante Gotovina. "For Britain cooperation with the tribunal is evidently the main condition for the ratification," said Picula. He added that chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte was expected to submit a report on Croatia's cooperation with the tribunal in September, and was hopeful the report would encourage the British government. Picula reiterated the imposing of sanctions against Croatia over the still open "Gotovina case" was out of the question. "Britain officially supports Croatia but at the same time persists in demanding that set criteria be met, so we cannot talk about there being any anti-Croatian conspiracy in London." The case of the fugitive General Gotovina cannot spoil Croatia's successes overnight "but it certainly doesn't do us any good in the long term," said the minister. "It's an issue that needs solving and time is slowly running out." Picula said the biggest responsibility lay with Gotovina, "a Croatian citizen who recently said in the media he recognised the tribunal". All contentious issues should be cleared at The Hague, he added. (hina) ha