ZAGREB, Dec 27 (Hina) - The application for membership in the European Union, the expansion of the jurisdiction in the Adriatic Sea, efforts to resolve the case of fugitive general Ante Gotovina who is sought by the Hague war crimes
tribunal, opposition to the American attack on Iraq and the official visit of President Stjepan Mesic to Belgrade were Croatia's most important foreign policy moves in 2003.
ZAGREB, Dec 27 (Hina) - The application for membership in the European
Union, the expansion of the jurisdiction in the Adriatic Sea, efforts
to resolve the case of fugitive general Ante Gotovina who is sought by
the Hague war crimes tribunal, opposition to the American attack on
Iraq and the official visit of President Stjepan Mesic to Belgrade
were Croatia's most important foreign policy moves in 2003.#L#
The expansion of the jurisdiction in the Adriatic had been prepared
for months and was encouraged by the demonstrated intention of the
European Union to create mechanisms to protect endangered fish stocks
in the Mediterranean. After announcing its plan at several gatherings,
Croatia began implementing it in the latter half of the year,
prompting opposition from Slovenia and Italy. In the first week of
October, the Croatian parliament adopted a compromise solution,
declaring a protected ecological and fishing zone instead of an
economic zone. Ljubljana objected to the move, Rome was unhappy and
the EU expressed regret because Croatia had not been given previous
approval by neighbouring countries. No one, however, denied Croatia
the right to make such a move.
The most difficult problem on the foreign policy front was relations
with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. The Bobetko case, which
was topical in the first quarter of the year, ended with the death of
the seriously ill general in April. Two months later, the Gotovina
case became topical following the general's interview with the
Nacional weekly. General Gotovina said in the interview that the
previous government had denied him an opportunity to talk to tribunal
investigators a few years ago. The runaway general said he recognised
the tribunal and requested an interview with tribunal investigators
before he turned himself in. President Stjepan Mesic also became
involved in the case. The tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla del
Ponte, rejected the idea of talking to Gotovina anywhere else but in
court, and the case was back to square one. Meanwhile, Gotovina was
nearly equated with the most wanted war crimes suspects on the
tribunal's list, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic and his
military commander, Ratko Mladic. Croatia is making every effort to
prove that Gotovina is beyond its reach, but Del Ponte does not seem
convinced at all.
This year's most important event in the world, the US attack on Iraq,
also had an effect on Croatia's foreign policy, revealing differences
between the Office of the President and the government. In February,
former Foreign Minister Tonino Picula signed a declaration of the
Vilnius Group supporting the United States in exerting pressure on
Iraq and threatening the use of force. A month later, President Mesic
said in an address to the nation that for reasons of principles
Croatia could not support the American plan to depose the Iraqi regime
militarily (regardless of its brutality) unless it was approved by the
United Nations. Former Prime Minister Ivica Racan said that the
president had not consulted the government before making the
statement. The views of the president and the government were later
brought into accord, but resulted in a deterioration in relations with
the United States. Relations between the two countries were further
exacerbated by Croatia's refusal to sign a bilateral agreement on the
non-extradition of American nationals to the newly-established
International Criminal Court.
In September, Mesic paid an official visit to Belgrade where he met
the President of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, who
apologised for all the wrongdoings citizens of his country had done to
Croats. Mesic accepted the apology and apologised for any "pain or
suffering" caused by Croats. The exchange of apologies was excellently
received in European and international political circles.
At the end of the year, Croatia is a step closer to fulfilling two of
its strategic goals -- entry into NATO and the EU. The new government
led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) is expected to promote
relations with the United States, which have already improved, and
Slovenia. Relations with the Hague tribunal are likely to remain the
heaviest burden for the new government, particularly if new
indictments are issued against Croats.
(Hina) vm