NO INFORMATION ON RIVKIN CONTRACT AVAILABLE AT CRO EMBASSY IN U.S.

WASHINGTON, Mar 12 (Hina) - No information could be obtained at the Croatian Embassy in Washington on Saturday in connection with a copy of a contract the Croatian government had signed with United States lawyer David Rivkin, or the payment of his services. Croatian Ambassador Miomir Zuzul, the only who could answer those questions, is en route to Zagreb and was not available on the telephone. No other Croatian diplomat was authorised to give statements. Croatia's Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic told reporters in Zagreb on Saturday he personally had not seen the Rivkin contract. "The contract Croatia signed with Rivkin is at the Croatian Embassy in the U.S., but we still haven't seen it," he said. According to the minister, Rivkin was paid US$9,068,104 and 30 cents between 11 June 1997 and 25 January 2000, the period when the Washington lawyer represented Croatia in its genocide suit against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia before the International Court of Justice, and was an observer in the Kordic/Cerkez trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Rivkin's office in Washington was closed on Saturday, and the lawyer did not answer telephone calls. Minister Ivanisevic said Rivkin had been invited to come to Croatia. (hina) ha