REPUBLIKA SRPSKA AND ICTY ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT

THE HAGUE, July 31 (Hina) - Republika Srpska and the International Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Wednesday issued a joint statement saying that they would cooperate so that "all perpetrators responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law, be brought to justice, regardless of their ethnic or religious background", "before the Tribunal and the National courts". #L# The statement was the result of talks held since Monday between the ICTY and a Republika Srpska delegation headed by Justice Minister Marko Arsovic. The delegation arrived in The Hague on Monday for an official visit to the Tribunal in order to "exchange views in relation to several important issues, including all aspects of cooperation with the Tribunal". ICTY and the Republika Srpska delegation agreed that "it is essential for the re-establishment of the rule of law in Bosnia- Herzegovina and for the creation of a lasting peace in the region that all perpetrators responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law, be brought to justice, regardless of their ethnic or religious background," the statement said. "The delegation and the Prosecutor's Office acknowledged that all parties to the conflict have been involved in atrocities and in this regard the Prosecutor, acting in an open minded and even- handed manner, is prepared to consider all evidence which may be submitted and which would tend to identify the individual responsibility among the higher echelons of the political and military leadership on all the sides," the statement said. In order to facilitate the prosecutors' investigations in Republika Srpska, the ICTY and the delegation agreed that steps would be taken to open an ICTY liaison office in Bijeljina. (hina) lm 311837 MET jul 96