ZAGREB, Aug 14 (Hina) - An offer which Washington has forwarded to Croatia relating to a bilateral agreement on not extraditing US citizens to the International Criminal Court is being considered but a final decision will be made once
attitudes are harmonised between the government and other state institutions, the acting spokesman for the Croatian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Aug 14 (Hina) - An offer which Washington has forwarded to
Croatia relating to a bilateral agreement on not extraditing US
citizens to the International Criminal Court is being considered
but a final decision will be made once attitudes are harmonised
between the government and other state institutions, the acting
spokesman for the Croatian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. #L#
The demands by the United States are being mulled, and the Croatian
government and other government institutions are to harmonise
attitudes and make a final decision, Zarko Plevnik told Hina.
However, Croatia will more than likely refuse the US offer for the
bilateral agreement, Plevnik added citing a statement by Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula to Croatian media.
Croatia cannot oblige itself to extradite its own citizens to the UN
war crimes tribunal in The Hague and yet not do the same with foreign
citizens regardless of which country they come from. Croatia is in a
delicate position because it has an additional obligation compared
to other EU aspirants and that is to co-operate with the Hague-based
Tribunal which is going well and the Croatian Government takes it
seriously. As such the American demand leaves little manoeuvring
space, Plevnik said.
The U.S. Administration first asked for permanent immunity for its
soldiers and civilians before the recently-established ICC
however. Later a compromise was reached by the UN Security Council
members and US troops were given the right to be exempt for one year
from the possible prosecution which might by launched by the ICC.
Since then, US diplomats have endeavoured to compel countries to
sign bilateral agreements that will guarantee that they will not
extradite US citizens to that court. So far only Rumania and Israel
have signed such an agreement. Switzerland, Canada, Norway and
Yugoslavia have rejected to sign. Washington has threatened to
withdraw military assistance to countries that do not sign the
agreement.
(hina) sp ms