GELBARD SATISFIED WITH CROAT COOPERATION

ZAGREB, Oct 5 (Hina) - Contacts have been made with persons of Croat nationality who were indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Croatian television said in the central news broadcast Sunday night. According to the same source, the persons indicted by the Tribunal have established contact of their own accord and it is possible that they will leave for The Hague tomorrow. The indicted have asked for 'fair treatment' and speedy beginning of the trial. #L# Special U.S. representative Robert Gelbard stated in Sarajevo on Sunday that President Tudjman had given him strong guarantees at a meeting in Split in August that he would do all he can so that the indicted would surrender voluntarily to the Tribunal. I am satisfied with the help offered by President Zubak and other representatives of the Croat community in Bosnia, said Gelbard, adding he was optimistic and hoped that positive results would be achieved in a very short period. The United States had been given guarantees by the Tribunal's chief prosecutor that the Tribunal would be ready to organise trials for those who surrendered voluntarily - within a period of three to five months, Gelbard added. Neither we nor the international community can be responsible for their defence, said Gelbard, adding that the international community was ready to offer the necessary support. We still think that it is absolutely important that other important indicted war criminals - such as Karadzic, Mladic, Martic and others - go or are transferred to The Hague, Gelbard said. In the meantime, we are ready to continue close cooperation with President Zubak and the Croat community in Bosnia-Herzegovina so that we could achieve our joint goal of implementing the Dayton and Washington agreements, Gelbard said. (hina) rm 052236 MET oct 97