NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON CROATIAN GOVT TO COMPLY WITH ICTY

BRUSSELS/ZAGREB Oct 3 (Hina) - NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on Thursday called on the Croatian government to fulfil its obligation regarding cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague and fully comply the request of the tribunal regarding General Janko Bobetko. #L# "Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is an obligation for all countries and parties of the former Yugoslavia, regardless of their domestic laws," read a statement by the NATO Secretary-General published on NATO's web site on Thursday. "I therefore call upon the Croatian government to fulfil its obligation to cooperate with the ICTY and fully comply with the Tribunal's request regarding General Janko Bobetko who was indicted by the Tribunal on 23 August 2002 for war crimes committed against Croatian Serbs in 1993 in the area known as the Medak Pocket," lord Robertson said. Robertson said that failing to cooperate was neither acceptable nor helpful in supporting efforts to establish sustainable peace and stability throughout the region. The Secretary-General says NATO is a strong supporter of the ICTY and has actively contributed to its work by detaining and transferring suspected was criminals. (hina)it