PICULA: NEW ISOLATION WOULD MEAN POLITICAL DEATH OF CROATIA

SARAJEVO, July 13 (Hina) - From its current position, Croatia can go two different ways - either continue on the path of international integration or go back to international isolation, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told Banja Luka's Nezavisne Novine weekly. "The latter option would indeed mean the political death of Croatia," Picula said commenting on the situation in Croatia following the government's decision to comply with the Hague war crimes tribunal's request to hand over war crimes suspects. The authorities in Croatia understand those who fear that attempts could be made at trials before the Hague tribunal to distort the character of the Homeland War, Picula said emphasising the state and government would find a way to respond to such challenges. "We will find a way to reject the contentious elements from the indictments during the trial and see that somebody's guilt is established on the basis of direct connection to committed crimes," Picula said. Picula warned that Croatia's dignity could also be jeopardised by criminalising the democratically elected authority and by failing to respect domestic legislation as this would stop Croatia on its way toward the European Union and NATO. Picula also pointed to the fact that Croatia's judiciary failed to process war crimes committed during and after Operation 'Storm', which he said was another aggravating circumstance for the current authority. Because of this, the world today is closely monitoring the trial of general Norac and the treatment of war crimes suspects from Gospic because that, too, will define Croatia's relation toward the Hague tribunal, he said. (hina) sb rml