U.S. HAILS ACTION BY CROATIAN GOVERNMENT AND BOSNIAN CROAT LEADERS

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Hina) - The US administration hailed the voluntary surrender of Bosnian Croat indictees to the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Monday and confirmed that it would help ensure that trials were conducted within the time limits agreed upon with the tribunal. The United States applauds the action taken by the Croatian government and the Bosnian Croat leadership which resulted in the surrender of ten Bosnian Croat indictees to the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague, the administration said in a statement which was released by State Department spokesman James Rubin. The US government considers the action as a significant step forward in the Dayton peace process, Rubin said, reaffirming the US commitment to ensuring fulfilment of all obligations assumed by the signatories to the Dayton agreement. Today's events signal a new determination by the Croatian government and Bosnian Croat leaders in the Federation to fulfil their commitments with regard to the implementation of the Dayton peace accords. Those who surrendered today will be assured of a fair trial and due process, he said. Rubin called other indictees on the territory of the former Yugoslavia to turn themselves in voluntarily. Those indictees who are still at large and who have chosen not to surrender must know that the US remains committed to leaving open all possible options to bring them to justice, he said. Rubin stressed that the Clinton administration looked forward to further close cooperation with Croatia. The US and Croatia have a shared interest in the full and successful implementation of the Washington, Dayton and Erdut agreements. In the coming months we intend to work closely with President Tudjman and his government toward that end. Asked whether the departure of the ten Bosnian Croats would defreeze loans to Croatia, Rubin said: Whether this action will bring about a change in international financial institutions, I'd like to remind you that four indictees have not been handed over yet. However, in making that decision (…) we will take into account this welcome and positive development. IMF and World Bank loans to Croatia were stopped this summer at the US request. Rubin recalled that Yugoslavia and Bosnian Serbs had not surrendered Serb indictees. The failure of Belgrade and Pale to fulfil their obligations under Dayton on war crimes stands in stark contrast to today's events, Rubin said, adding that Belgrade would remain internationally isolated because of its failure to meet its commitments. (hina) vm 062326 MET oct 97