MESIC PLEASED WITH DEL PONTE DECISION NOT TO INTERVIEW STIPETIC

DAVOS, Jan 27 (Hina) - War crimes chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte's decision to revoke a summons for an interview with Croatia's military chief-of-staff is excellent, President Stipe Mesic said in Davos, Switzerland on Saturday. "That is excellent," he told Croatian reporters when asked to comment on an interview Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic gave Vecernji list daily of Saturday. "There was not one reason to doubt a honourable general like General (Petar) Stipetic," Mesic said, reiterating he had been the one to propose Stipetic for the office of military chief-of-staff. "It only confirms that my choice was the right one." Asked about Prime Minister Ivica Racan's statement of Friday that he would discuss the issue of transcripts from the President's Office with Mesic upon his return from Davos, where the head of state is attending the World Economic Forum, Mesic said "these transcripts are becoming the subject of rumours." The president reminded he and Racan had agreed that all transcripts should be examined and those indicating some form of criminal activity handed over to competent bodies, "which is logical." Mesic said he was willing to discuss and reach an agreement on everything. Earlier this month, the government passed a decision to archive all documentation from the President's Office belonging to the former head of state, the late Franjo Tudjman. Yesterday, Mesic said that some documents, Croatia's defence plan for instance, should remain at the Office's disposal. (hina) ha