IVANIC: REPUBLIKA SRPSKA MUST COOPERATE WITH HAGUE TRIBUNAL

SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA, July 16 (Hina) - Republika Srpska President Mladen Ivanic said on Monday the authorities of the Bosnian Serb entity did not have a choice but to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). He told a news conference in Banja Luka that during his recent visit to the United States he had received clear warnings that sanctions would be imposed against the Republika Srpska should the entity fail to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal. Ivanic said nobody expected the Republika Srpska to immediately extradite Radovan Karadjic and Ratko Mladic, adding however, the entity was expected to immediately adopt a law on cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague. "All political parties participating in the parliament must voice their opinion on the issue," Ivanic said, stressing that in case the entity failed to pass the law, the Republika Srpska government would face a crisis. The President said the law must enable full cooperation "including a possibility that tribunal representatives be enabled to contact all war crimes suspects." Answering reporters' questions, Ivanic said he had no knowledge on any arrest operation against Karadjic and Mladic. (hina) it