SIMONOVIC: GRANIC'S LETTER TO SECURITY COUNCIL WILL HAVE PALLIATIVE EFFECT

NEW YORK, Sept 1 (Hina) - "The key message is that Croatia will observe its obligations regarding its cooperation with The Hague Tribunal", Croatia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ivan Simonovic, said on Wednesday after handing over a letter by Foreign Minister Mate Granic to U.N. Security Council President Peter van Walsum. #L# The existing disputed legal interpretations will not jeopardise the cooperation (between Croatia and the Tribunal) and they can be solved relatively quickly in direct dialogue with the Tribunal, Simonovic said. The Croatian official also believes Granic's message will have a "palliative effect" on the Security Council. This means that a formal debate of the Council on ICTY President Gabrielle Kirk McDonald's letter may be avoided or, "if the debate does take place, that decisions which are unfavourable for Croatia may be avoided". Simonovic pointed to the two announcements made in Granic's letter, the one being the publishing of a White Book on Croatia's cooperation with the ICTY and the other the sending of a letter by the Croatian Government to the ICTY President. The letter, Simonovic says, "opens a direct dialogue on how to overcome the disputed issues". Simonovic also believes "the key to the success of this dialogue, which is the only one which can take Croatia off the Security Council's agenda, is mutual respect". (hina) rml