WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Hina) - Ambassadors of United Nations Security Council member-countries will be presented next week with all documents relative to Croatia's dispute with The Hague tribunal. The documents in question are tribunal
president Gabrielle Kirk McDonald's letter, the Croatian government's statement and Foreign Minister Mate Granic's letter, and the just issued White Book which documents Croatia's permanent cooperation with the tribunal. McDonald last week reported Croatia to the UN Security Council for non-cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Croatia resolutely denies the accusations, and has requested that ICTY's jurisdiction over military and police operations with which Croatia in 1995 liberated parts of its territory occupied by Serbs be debated by the tribunal and not the Security Council. The White Book will be forw
WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Hina) - Ambassadors of United Nations Security
Council member-countries will be presented next week with all
documents relative to Croatia's dispute with The Hague tribunal.
The documents in question are tribunal president Gabrielle Kirk
McDonald's letter, the Croatian government's statement and Foreign
Minister Mate Granic's letter, and the just issued White Book which
documents Croatia's permanent cooperation with the tribunal.
McDonald last week reported Croatia to the UN Security Council for
non-cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Croatia resolutely denies the accusations, and has requested that
ICTY's jurisdiction over military and police operations with which
Croatia in 1995 liberated parts of its territory occupied by Serbs
be debated by the tribunal and not the Security Council.
The White Book will be forwarded to Council members by diplomatic
channels early next week. It will also be made available via UN's
Secretariat to other ambassadors to the UN.
Croatian Ambassador Ivan Simonovic said on Thursday he hopes a
formal Council debate on McDonald's letter may be avoided. He
cautiously added that current diplomatic activity "would avoid
unfavourable decisions for Croatia were a debate held."
For Council members it was important to clarify that Croatia does
not refuse cooperation with The Hague tribunal, and documents on
Croatia's permanent cooperation with the tribunal have been put
forward to that end. The direct need to hold an official debate at
the Council has also been eliminated by the decision of the Zagreb
County Court to extradite to The Hague Mladen Naletilic Tuta.
According to unofficial talk at the UN, the Security Council might
not discuss The Hague tribunal president's letter for another ten
days.
It has also been announced the Croatian government will send a
letter to McDonald to start dialogue on how to overcome disputed
issues. Simonovic believes direct dialogue is "the only option
which can put Croatia off the Security Council agenda for a longer
period of time."
With its statement and in Foreign Minister Granic's letter, the
Croatian government has attempted to return the issue where it
belongs, namely before the tribunal. The Security Council has been
offered the possibility to ask the International Court of Justice
for an advisory opinion, while Croatia has obligated itself
beforehand to respect it.
Croatia's actions must now be directed to The Hague. If
constructive dialogue is achieved, with mutual respect, the UN
Security Council will not have to deal with the issue of Croatia's
cooperation with The Hague tribunal at all. In the contrary,
Croatia will be on the Council agenda on the eve of the UN General
Assembly.
(hina) ha jn