Responding to questions from the press, Sanader said that under a decision of its founder, the United Nations, the tribunal had an exit strategy envisaging that all trials should be completed by 2008 and the tribunal close its doors by 2010.
Sanader also said that all countries which the tribunal covered had shown readiness and ability to take over cases from the tribunal, which he added should facilitate the implementation of the exit strategy.
"At this moment it is inappropriate and too early to talk about everything else," he said.
The launching of the initiative for the abolition of the Hague tribunal was announced yesterday by Zagreb lawyer Vesna Alaburic, who is defending Bosnian Croat general Milivoj Petkovic before the tribunal. She was supported by several Croatian lawyers.
Jutarnji List daily said today Alaburic felt that Milosevic's death had raised the question of the purpose of the existence of the Hague tribunal. She suggested the court should be abolished and trials referred to national courts, with every state taking over the trials against its citizens regardless of where the crimes had been committed.