RIJEKA, Sept 2 (Hina) - Commenting on a recently adopted UN Security Council resolution which mentions retired Croatian General Ante Gotovina, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Tuesday that members of the Security Council
had paid more attention to the technical aspect of the resolution than to its political aspect, adding that its content should not be dramatised.
RIJEKA, Sept 2 (Hina) - Commenting on a recently adopted UN Security
Council resolution which mentions retired Croatian General Ante
Gotovina, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Tuesday that
members of the Security Council had paid more attention to the
technical aspect of the resolution than to its political aspect,
adding that its content should not be dramatised. #L#
"We are aware of the fact that the problem of General Gotovina's
transfer to the Hague's UN war crimes tribunal exists regardless of
the resolution," Racan said.
UN Security Council Resolution 1503, adopted on August 28, urges
all countries of the former Yugoslavia, particularly Serbia and
Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republika Srpska
within Bosnia-Herzegovina to strengthen their cooperation with the
tribunal and provide it with all the necessary assistance,
especially with a view to arresting and handing over Radovan
Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, Ante Gotovina and all other indictees to
the tribunal. The Security Council also urges these and other
persons indicted by the tribunal who are at large to surrender to
the tribunal.
"If the Croatian government fails to establish cooperation with
General Gotovina, it will have no choice left but to do all it can
for General Gotovina to appear before the tribunal," Racan said in
response to reporters' questions.
He reiterated that the general had an opportunity to defend his
innocence before the tribunal, and that there was growing suspicion
that he would do so.
"Despite various reports, the Croatian government has had no
contact with General Gotovina in the past two months, and we had
nothing to do with the story about his voluntary surrender," the PM
said.
(hina) lml sb