SPLIT, Oct 14 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said that those who persist in their claims that Gotovina is hiding in Croatia have not corroborated their statements with strong evidence. Mesic has added that he possesses
information from reports compiled by intelligence services that say that the fugitive general Gotovina is not in Croatia.
SPLIT, Oct 14 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said
that those who persist in their claims that Gotovina is hiding in
Croatia have not corroborated their statements with strong
evidence. Mesic has added that he possesses information from
reports compiled by intelligence services that say that the
fugitive general Gotovina is not in Croatia. #L#
Answering questions of reporters during his visit to Split's
shipyard on Tuesday, Mesic reiterated his call to the fugitive
general Ante Gotovina to use, as he said, this 'favourable chance'
and appear before the Hague-based tribunal or the Croatian
government. Mesic went on to say that the favourable situation
would cease to exist the moment Croatian police or police of some
other country nab and transfer him to The Hague.
Commenting on the statement of the UN tribunal's chief prosecutor,
Del Ponte, who asserted that persons from state institutions were
harbouring the runaway general, the president said he had no
knowledge of that, and that it was not clear to him who would harbour
the general and whether anybody would do it at all.
"Gotovina, indeed, has advisors who are obviously giving him wrong
advice, but the fact is that sooner or later he will have to answer
questions from the Hague-based tribunal. Simply, Gotovina must not
keep Croatia a hostage to his case," the head of state said.
Answering questions about Croatia's international position, Mesic
said the country was not in any kind of international isolation.
Quite contrary, Croatia has become an unavoidable factor in the
international community, he added.
"I believe that with answers to the European Commission's
questionnaire we shall confirm our status and intentions, namely
not to become only formally an EU member-states but also to live in
compliance with EU standards, which is our ultimate goal," he
said.
He described Del Ponte's report to EU ministers was not as gloomy as
some media reported, given that the ICTY chief prosecutor actually
praised Croatia for its co-operation with the UN war crimes
tribunal.
(hina) ms sb