ZAGREB: DEL PONTE, RACAN BEGIN TALKS

ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan and the chief prosecutor with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Carla del Ponte, began talks on Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal in Zagreb around 14.00 hours on Friday. Del Ponte arrived in the Croatian capital earlier today and is expected to depart later in the day. The Hague tribunal had said the chief prosecutor would make a working trip to Zagreb as part of regular meetings with Croatian authorities, and that the talks with Racan would address general issues regarding the Zagreb-Hague cooperation and some important demands on the part of the prosecutor's office, like access to certain documents and interviews with witnesses. Croatian media have alleged recently that the Hague tribunal has delivered indictments to the government against unidentified Croatian generals. According to some sources, the authorities have already received sealed indictments against two generals. This has not been verified. For several months del Ponte has been announcing new indictments for war crimes committed on ex-Yugoslavia's territory, which she has said will not refer only to Serbs. Croatian authorities have said on several occasions they are willing to cooperate with the Hague tribunal. (hina) ha sb