PRESIDENT MESIC, PRIME MINISTER RACAN AND SPEAK TOMCIC ON COOPERATION WITH ICTY

ZAGREB, Dec 14 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic, Prime Minister Ivica Racan and parliament speaker Zlatko Tomcic on Sunday held talks on cooperation between the Croatian government and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), ahead of the visit of ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte to Zagreb scheduled for Monday. According to Racan, the state officials agreed on a joint strategy - to try to solve open issues with the Hague through a dialogue, and at the same time to take all necessary steps for the implementation of investigations on war crimes and bringing war criminals to justice. He expressed hope that del Ponte's visit to Zagreb would remove obstacles in cooperation with the ICTY. Racan reiterated that Croatia did not wish to be a hostage of unsolved war crimes, which cast a blot upon the entire Homeland Defence War. He expressed a belief that during the ICTY chief prosecutor's visit to Zagreb the character of responsibility for committed war crimes would be established. Also present at today's meeting were Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, Defence Minister Jozo Rados and Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic. (hina) it sb