IVAN SIMONOVIC APPOINTED CROATIA'S REP BEFORE INT COURT OF JUSTICE

ZAGREB, May 25 (Hina) - Croatian permanent representative to the United Nations in New York Ivan Simonovic on Thursday was appointed Croatian representative before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague by a decision of the Croatian Government. He is to represent Croatia on the proceedings on the occasion of the charges Croatia has filed against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia because of the violation of conventions on genocide, Croatian Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said. Apart from Simonovic , the Government appointed two co- representatives -- Ivo Josipovic, a professor at the Zagreb Law School and Jaksa Muljacic, Croatian Ambassador to the Netherlands. Professor at the Zagreb Law School Budislav Vukas was appointed "ad hoc" judge, which is being appointed in such cases between states. Minister Ivanisevic said that, at its closed session, the Government endorsed a working plan on suits, and the platform for it was proposed by Simonovic. Croatia's suit against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was composed rather in a dilettantish manner and we need to work seriously to support claims which are included in a suit", Ivanisevic stressed. Simonovic is authorised to, in line with regulations of the ICJ, demand that a deadline for drafting factual basis of the suit be extended at least to the end of this calendar year. The Croatian Justice Minister stressed it was determined that a frame budget for the draft of the factual basis of the suit amounts to US$700,000, which is several times less than the amount spent so far. The Croatian representatives before the ICJ also received authorisation to establish cooperation with experts from Bosnia- Herzegovina, a country who filed charges against Yugoslavia much earlier than Croatia did. (hina) it jn