CROATIA: United Nations war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte remains tight-lipped on key Croatia report on re-starting stalled talks for European Union membership.

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  • Title: CROATIA: United Nations war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte remains tight-lipped on key Croatia report on re-starting stalled talks for European Union membership.
  • Date: 14th October 2005
  • Summary: ZAGREB, CROATIA (SEPTEMBER 30, 2005) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR, CARLA DEL PONTE, WALKING INTO MEETING ROOM; CARLA DEL PONTE SITTING AT TABLE WITH CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER, IVO SANADER, AND CROATIAN PRESIDENT, STJEPAN MESIC; CLOSE-UP CARLA DEL PONTE; STJEPAN MESIC AND IVO SANADER; CARLA DEL PONTE, IVO SANADER AND STJEPAN MESIC ARRIVING AT PODIUM SOUNDBITE (English) CARLA DEL PONTE, U.N. WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR, SAYING: "You cannot imagine how disappointed I am. Because, since we started closely to work together we have always the same problem - Gotovina is still at large. Of course, I saw positive developments in the last months and in the last weeks and we have discussed that. You know that on Monday I will appear in Luxembourg at the European Council for the assessment of cooperation. I am considering, I am evaluating. I have two days more. Don't ask me nothing and I will tell you nothing. My assessment is for the task force of the Council of the EU and until then it is my view that they will be the first to receive my assessment." IVO SANADER AND STJEPAN MESIC SOUNDBITE (Croatian) CROATIAN PRESIDENT, STJEPAN MESIC, SAYING: "From the information we obtained through our intelligence services, police and the judiciary, we could not establish the whereabouts of General Gotovina." CLOSE-UP OF CARLA DEL PONTE LISTENING SOUNDBITE (Croatian) CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER, IVO SANADER, SAYING: "As Prime Minister, of course, I hope that the task force will fairly and correctly assess all our achievements during the implementation of the action plan." CARS AND SECURITY OUTSIDE BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 29th October 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Croatia
  • City:
  • Country: Croatia
  • Topics: International Relations,European Union
  • Reuters ID: LVA92M1NHG8FYGI8F1QNR2E0M69O
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: United Nations (U.N.) war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte refused to say on Friday (September 30, 2005) if she will give Croatia high marks for its cooperation, keeping Zagreb in the dark about its chances of re-starting stalled European Union (EU) membership bid. In comments that visibly dismayed Croatian leaders who were hoping for a positive signal, del Ponte told reporters: "You cannot imagine how disappointed I am. Because, since we started closely to work together we have always the same problem - Gotovina is still at large. "Of course, I saw positive developments in the last months and in the last weeks and we have discussed that. "You know that on Monday I will appear in Luxembourg at the European Council for the assessment of cooperation. I am considering, I am evaluating. I have two days more. Don't ask me nothing and I will tell you nothing. My assessment is for the task force of the Council of the EU and until then it is my view that they will be the first to receive my assessment," she said. Besides refusing to take questions from the media, she also cancelled a scheduled briefing for EU diplomats in Zagreb. Both Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic looked crestfallen and angry during their brief appearance. A government source told Reuters that Croatia remained convinced it had done all it could and expected del Ponte's report to reflect that. But diplomats said no del Ponte report had been circulated and Zagreb simply did not know what to expect.
    The former Swiss prosecutor will brief EU countries on Zagreb's compliance on Monday. A positive assessment would allow Brussels to open entry talks with Croatia, thereby restoring its leading place in the convoy of Balkans EU hopefuls. Zagreb still has to meet one last obligation to the Hague-based tribunal -- find and arrest fugitive general Ante Gotovina, wanted since July 2001 on charges that men under his command murdered Serbs in a victorious offensive in 1995. President Stjepan Mesic said all evidence indicated that Gotovina was not in Croatia. "From the information we obtained through our intelligence services, police and the judiciary, we could not establish the whereabouts of General Gotovina," he said. In March, del Ponte accused Zagreb of lacking the political will to arrest Gotovina. Her criticism prompted EU leaders to delay the talks, dealing a huge blow to Sanader's reformist centre-right government. Since then, Croatia has seriously stepped up its war crimes efforts. In an action dubbed the 'Action Plan' Zagreb has shaken up the intelligence and police departments, raided the premises of Gotovina and his alleged supporters and openly stated that he must be found and arrested -- a message it had muffled in the past.
    Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sander told reporters: "As Prime Minister, of course, I hope that the task force will fairly and correctly assess all our achievements during the implementation of the action plan." On Thursday in Belgrade Del Ponte said she was disappointed about top Bosnian Serb fugitive Ratko Mladic still being at large, but gave Serbia rate praise for improving its cooperation with the tribunal. The EU decided before Del Ponte arrived in Belgrade that Serbia should advance to the first formal stage of the membership process.
    EU member Austria says Croatia ought to be given the benefit of the doubt, but has denied making entry talks with Zagreb a condition for softening its opposition to Turkey's EU membership bid, which has triggered an emergency EU meeting in Sunday.
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