ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - The Unites States is currently satisfied with the assurances provided by the Croatian state leadership regarding Croatia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, that is, their intention to extradite Mladen
Naletilic Tuta to the Tribunal following the approval of the Zagreb County Court, US Ambassador at the U.N. Richard Holbrooke said in Zagreb on Friday.
ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - The Unites States is currently satisfied
with the assurances provided by the Croatian state leadership
regarding Croatia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, that is,
their intention to extradite Mladen Naletilic Tuta to the Tribunal
following the approval of the Zagreb County Court, US Ambassador at
the U.N. Richard Holbrooke said in Zagreb on Friday. #L#
"...we are following this issue carefully... we have assurances and
that's good enough for today", Holbrooke told reporters following
his meeting with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman today.
Tudjman's chief-of-staff Ivica Kostovic, who attended the news
conference, confirmed that "guarantees were given that Croatia
would continue cooperating in line with the established procedure
and our Constitutional Law".
"Both President Tudjman and I agreed that it is important for this
process to continue in the appropriate manner", Holbrooke said. He
added the former commander of the convicts' battalion, whose name
he did not "even wish to mention", should be in The Hague and that he
hoped it would happen.
"This unresolved, unfinished business of getting rid of the past by
treating it in full accordance with the international justice is
very important to the full integration of Croatia into the
community of European nations - the goal which I believe all
Croatians share", Holbrooke said.
Holbrooke said he and US Ambassador William Montgomery, who also
attended the talks, "encouraged the Croatian leadership to move
that process forward in accordance with your own country's laws".
Asked whether he was currently satisfied with Croatia's
cooperation with The Hague, Holbrooke said legal procedures in
Croatia "moved a little slowly", however, "President Tudjman
reaffirmed today that he would move forward".
Following the meeting with President Tudjman, Ambassador
Holbrooke, who is on a one-day visit to Zagreb, held talks with the
leaders of six opposition parties at the Liberal Party's
headquarters.
At the beginning of his address to the press, Holbrooke said he
arrived for talks with President Tudjman at the request of the US
Secretary of State and the US Ambassador to Croatia, but also
because he "wanted to see my old friend and associate, President
Tudjman, and to review the situation in the region".
According to Holbrooke, discussed in detail were Croatian-American
relations. He added the United States and he personally placed
special importance on media freedom.
Chief-of-staff Kostovic said the talks also tackled the Stability
Pact and the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement.
One of the issues discussed at the talks was the election, Kostovic
said adding, "all preparations have been carried out for a
democratic election with all international observers".
He said there was a possibility for the Croatian National Sabor to
invite representatives from the US Congress and other parliaments
to monitor the elections.
Today's talks were also attended by Foreign Minister Mate Granic
and the President's advisor on internal policy, Ivic Pasalic.
(hina) rml