ZAGREB IN EARLY JANUARY ZAGREB, Dec 19 (Hina) - A spokeswoman for the ICTY Prosecution on Tuesday confirmed that the Croatian Government's invitation to Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte to visit Zagreb had been received and that Del
Ponte would probably travel to the Croatian capital in the first half of January. "The invitation has been received. She will arrive in Zagreb in January," the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia Prosecution spokeswoman Florence Hartmann told Hina over the phone. Hartmann explained that before receiving this invitation, the Chief Prosecutor had planned to tour Zagreb so that she could resume the dialogue established with the new Croatian authorities at the beginning of this year. According to Hartmann, the visit would probably take place at the beginning of January. Hartmann said del Ponte was intending to visit Belgrade as well where an ICTY office should be opened, wh
ZAGREB, Dec 19 (Hina) - A spokeswoman for the ICTY Prosecution on
Tuesday confirmed that the Croatian Government's invitation to
Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte to visit Zagreb had been received
and that Del Ponte would probably travel to the Croatian capital in
the first half of January.
"The invitation has been received. She will arrive in Zagreb in
January," the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia Prosecution spokeswoman Florence Hartmann told Hina
over the phone.
Hartmann explained that before receiving this invitation, the
Chief Prosecutor had planned to tour Zagreb so that she could resume
the dialogue established with the new Croatian authorities at the
beginning of this year.
According to Hartmann, the visit would probably take place at the
beginning of January.
Hartmann said del Ponte was intending to visit Belgrade as well
where an ICTY office should be opened, while after general
elections, scheduled for Dec. 23 in Serbia, she would like to hold
talks on cooperation between that country and the ICTY.
"In a few days there will be elections in Serbia and after them it
will be clear what somebody could do... There is no reason to wait
for Belgrade to start cooperating," the spokeswoman said.
Asked about the contents of a summons the ICTY Prosecution
forwarded to Croatian Armed Forces chief-of-staff General Petar
Stipetic, she declined to comment, in accordance with the
Prosecution's practice.
"We never comment on names," Hartmann said, explaining that during
its investigations the Prosecution respected the principle of
secrecy in contacts with persons who have different status.
According to the Croatian Government, Gen. Stipetic has received
the summons for an interview with ICTY investigators and Premier
Ivica Racan has said his Cabinet will ask for additional
explanations of the contents of the letter. According to the media,
it has an unclear segment as to whether Stipetic has been summoned
as a witness or as a possible indictee.
(hina) ms