BRITISH AMBASSADOR COMMENTS ON TALKS WITH NACIONAL JOURNALIST

ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - Britain's ambassador to Zagreb, Nicholas Jarrold, confirmed on Monday he had spoken to Nacional journalist Ivo Pukanic about the case of General Ante Gotovina, but declined to comment on the claim by the weekly that he had proposed to act as an intermediary between the chief prosecutor of the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague and the retired Croatian general. #L# Pukanic wrote in an article published in Nacional on Monday that he had met the British ambassador twice in late July to talk about Gotovina, who is indicted by the Hague tribunal for crimes against humanity committed during and after the Croatian military operation Storm in August 1995. According to the Nacional article, Jarrold told Pukanic at the first meeting "it would be good if the general and the prosecutor tried to reach an agreement," and that he "will contact The Hague." At the second meeting held the following day, Jarrold gave Pukanic the prosecutor's suggestions regarding Gotovina, and arranged a meeting between Pukanic and a representative of the Hague tribunal in Zagreb, Thomas Osorio, Nacional said. In a written statement to Hina on Monday, Jarrold said that "Mr Pukanic called on me at his request in his role as CEO of Nacional." "(Pukanic) asked to discuss British policy in the case of retired General Gotovina. I explained that our position remained that as an indictee Gotovina should surrender to the Hague Tribunal immediately. "Our meeting was interrupted by the arrival of a guest for lunch and it was agreed that we continue the meeting next day. At the second meeting, I again urged Mr Pukanic to encourage Gotovina to surrender to the Tribunal and referred him to the local office of the ICTY. "I informed the Croatian authorities immediately of this approach by Mr Pukanic," the statement concluded. (hina) vm sb