ICTY PRESIDENT REPLIES TO CROATIAN JUSTICE MINISTER

ZAGREB, Dec 7 (Hina) - President of the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Claude Jorda confirmed in a letter sent to Croatian Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic that the Tribunal was an objective body, equally interested in all victims, and recalled Croatia's obligation to cooperate with this institution. "The Tribunal is by definition an objective body and is interested in the fate of all victims, especially those from Vukovar," Jorda said in a letter in which he expressed his gratitude for messages of congratulations on the occasion of his election as president of the Tribunal. Separovic had earlier submitted documents about crimes committed in Vukovar and Dubrovnik in 1991, with a request that the ICTY brings the perpetrators before the face of justice. "As you are well aware, I am concerned with the issue of your country's cooperation with the institution over which I today have the honour to preside," Jorda said in his letter in reply to the message of congratulations. "I am touched by this attention. In this light I would like for relations Croatia has with the Tribunal to enter an irreversible process of normalisation. I ensure you that for my part I intend to stimulate the re-establishment of productive dialogue with your Government," the letter said, the Justice Ministry reported in a statement Tuesday. (hina) lml mm