ZAGREB, Sept 26 (Hina) - The Government Office for Cooperation with the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Sunday issued a statement dismissing claims made in an
article in 'Jutarnji list' daily of September 24, published under the headline "Separovic's Letter to Security Council Undermines Efforts by Mate Granic in New York". The letter in question is not "Separovic's letter" but a letter by the Government Council for Relations with the International Court of Justice and the ICTY. The letter, which was unanimously adopted at the September 21 session and signed by the Council President, was sent to the Croatian Permanent Mission in the United Nations, so that it could be handed to the U.N. Security Council Chairman Peter van Walsum. The letter summarises the results of talks between the president of the Governm
ZAGREB, Sept 26 (Hina) - The Government Office for Cooperation with
the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Sunday issued a
statement dismissing claims made in an article in 'Jutarnji list'
daily of September 24, published under the headline "Separovic's
Letter to Security Council Undermines Efforts by Mate Granic in New
York".
The letter in question is not "Separovic's letter" but a letter by
the Government Council for Relations with the International Court
of Justice and the ICTY.
The letter, which was unanimously adopted at the September 21
session and signed by the Council President, was sent to the
Croatian Permanent Mission in the United Nations, so that it could
be handed to the U.N. Security Council Chairman Peter van Walsum.
The letter summarises the results of talks between the president of
the Government Council and all leading ICTY officials,
particularly with ICTY President Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, and it is
therefore representing the stand of the Government Council.
It is not true that the letter "has undermined Minister Granic's
efforts in New York". On the contrary - according to a news item by
Voice of America, carried by the Croatian news agency Hina on
September 23, 1999 under the headline "On Meetings Between Granic
at U.N. General Assembly Session" it is said that the head of the
Croatian delegation, Mate Granic, stressed that "in the meeting
with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright two issues were tackled
- resolving Croatia-ICTY relations and the upcoming elections".
During the meeting with Albright, Granic also mentioned that "the
Security Council has received a letter by Croatian Justice Minister
Zvonimir Separovic on his recent talks with ICTY officials. There
is no comment on the letter, but it could be of great importance for
Croatia", Granic said.
As it is already known, the Croatian Government, the Office for
Cooperation, and Ministers Granic and Separovic believe the two
contested issues - the extradition of Mladen Naletilic Tuta and the
question of jurisdiction over 'Flash' and 'Storm' operations are
procedural questions which should be resolved by Croatian courts
and the ICTY, the statement said.
(hina) rml