ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic told Hina on Wednesday he discussed with Ambassador Lawrence Rossin on Monday the potential cancellation of U.S. military assistance to Croatia unless it signs a bilateral
agreement on the non-extradition of U.S. citizens to the International Criminal Court.
ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic told
Hina on Wednesday he discussed with Ambassador Lawrence Rossin on
Monday the potential cancellation of U.S. military assistance to
Croatia unless it signs a bilateral agreement on the non-
extradition of U.S. citizens to the International Criminal Court.
#L#
The Vecernji list and Vjesnik dailies said today Croatia might be
denied further U.S. military assistance unless it signed the deal.
Speaking to Hina on the telephone, Simonovic said that countries
which did not sign the agreement would be denied assistance, in line
with the American Servicemember's Protection Act.
There are some exceptions, namely countries which are NATO members
or those with which the United States has a partnership, said
Simonovic.
He added new exceptions might be possible, for example countries
under the mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia.
The European Union is discouraged by the signing of the agreement
the U.S. requests, and asking states which are negotiating
membership with the Union and are bound by cooperation with the
Hague tribunal to sign it brings them in a difficult position, said
Simonovic.
Romania's decision to sign the agreement has elicited immediate
reaction in the EU and the European Commission.
Asked if Croatia had made any decision as to putting its signature
on the document, Simonovic said a decision to that effect was not on
the government but parliament if the cabinet asked so. Due to the
political mood, the signature is unlikely, he said.
The U.S. embassy has confirmed the U.S. wants Croatia to sign the
agreement and that $19 million in assistance for military training
and equipment depends on it.
A letter Hina received from the embassy notes that the U.S. endorses
the drawing closer to Euro-Atlantic structures, especially
Croatia's admission to NATO.
The military assistance is the U.S. support to said integration,
the letter stated, adding the embassy's priority was to cooperate
with the Croatian government towards the adoption of the agreement
by July 1, which would enable further military assistance.
Simonovic explained the $19 million was not a one-year amount. The
one-year figure is $5 million while the remainder includes some
unused funds, he said.
(hina) ha