ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - Croatia at the moment does not have to be concerned over its international position, but in the case of an unfavourable development in relations with the Hague-based UN tribunal, the position could deteriorate,
Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - Croatia at the moment does not have to be
concerned over its international position, but in the case of an
unfavourable development in relations with the Hague-based UN
tribunal, the position could deteriorate, Croatian Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula said on Wednesday. #L#
Picula gave this statement presenting a comprehensive report on the
country's current position in foreign affairs to the parliamentary
foreign affairs committee.
"Croatia is at the moment co-operating with the International
Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) in good faith, using all the possibilities
at its disposal," Picula said.
The government, which forwarded two court depositions to the
tribunal on operational level in one week, did a good job from the
point of view of international law, the minister added.
The report, which Picula submitted, put a particular emphasis on
Zagreb's relations with the European Union, NATO, and neighbouring
countries, and regional cooperation.
During several meetings on the border issue held since last April,
Croatia and Yugoslavia reached almost completely harmonised views
on a temporary regime on Prevlaka, the fact that it was used as the
basis for the suggestion of the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan,
for the discontinuation of the UN mission on the southernmost
Croatian peninsula on 15 December this year, shows that this was a
good proposal, Picula added.
The minister, however, declined to reveal details from the
agreement on the temporary regime, justifying it with the fact that
elections would be held in Montenegro in ten days. Picula said the
agreement would regulate the crossings over the border, conditions
for the fishing and the demilitarisation of the entire area.
As regards Slovenia, three major problems are Piran Bay, the Krsko-
based nuclear power plant, and the deposits in Ljubljanska Bank,
and at least the first two problems will be clearer at the end of
this year. At the end of 2002, the three-month-long period for the
agreement on the temporary fishing regime in Piran Bay will expire,
and after that "we shall see what to do in the future", Picula said.
The end of the year should bring about the denouement of the
situation in relation to the Krsko plant. After the agreement was
signed, Croatia's parliament ratified it, and the Slovenian
parliament has not yet done it. The Slovene parliament has sent the
document to the Constitutional Court to assess whether it was in
compliance with the Slovene Constitution. The Court's ruling is
expected before November.
As Croatia is still not receiving the electricity from the plant due
to the Slovene delay in the ratification, the Sabor has bound the
government to reach agreement with Ljubljana on the implementation
of the agreement until the end of this year. Otherwise, the Sabor
will consider the annulment of the ratification, Picula said.
He added that international arbitration as a final solution was
also possible for the Krsko plant case.
According to Picula, Croatia can be satisfied with the entire
process of drawing closer to the European Union, although in the
coming period the country should make additional efforts to meet
basic political conditions, defined by the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement. This refers to the adoption of a
constitutional law on national minorities, legal regulations about
the restoration of property and tenants' rights, a law on the
Croatian Radio and Television and a comprehensive reform in the
judiciary.
Consultations with the EU member-states' governments on the
continuation of the Zagreb process are under way, and this refers to
a summit which Greece, that will be the next president of the EU,
should organise in June. Croatia will offer itself as the venue of
the preparations for the summit, Picula said.
(hina) ms sb
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