War crimes prosecutor keeps Croatia's EU hopes on hold

The UN's chief war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte kept Croatia's hopes of starting EU entry talks on hold Tuesday, saying Zagreb was still not helping enough to find a key suspect.

But del Ponte, speaking after talks with European Union (EU) and Croatian leaders in Luxembourg, nevertheless voiced hope for progress within weeks in finding fugitive general Ante Gotovina.

Her comments came after the EU, which delayed the start of talks with Zagreb last month, reiterated the need for "full cooperation" in finding Gotovina, and pointed to the example of neighbouring Serbia in surrendering suspects.

"The keys to the EU door are held in the hands of the Croatian authorities," said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.

"Cooperation with the ICTY is a clear precondition wich is inescapable."

Del Ponte, chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for ex-Yugloslavia (ICTY), lamented that this was still not the case.

"The Croatian authorities are not full cooperating with the tribunal and with the office of the prosecutor," Del Ponte told journalists, adding that in her view: ""Gotovina is in the reach of the Croatian authorities."

But she added: "It is my great hope that this can be done ... before my next report to the (UN) security council," which is scheduled for June 13.

"Prime Minister Sanader promised me to be much more active in locating Gotovina," she said, adding that all information indicates that Gotovina is still in Croatia, moving across into Bosnia-Hercegovina from time to time.

The 25-member EU refused to start negotiations originally scheduled to start on March 17 because Croatia was not doing it all it could to find Gotovina.

Gotovina is charged by the ICTY over alleged war crimes against ethnic Serbs at the end of 1991-95 Serbo-Croatian war. Zagreb has insisted it has no knowledge of his whereabouts.

Del Ponte acknowledged that it is possible that Croatian authorities do not know his every movement. "What I think is that Prime Minister Sanader probably himself doesn't receive all the information," she said.

There has been some discussion over exactly what is meant by "full cooperation." Del Ponte sought to shed some light Tuesday.

"There will be full cooperation when the Croatian authorities will have brought Gotovina to the Hague or they will indicate (to) us the whereabouts of Gotovina," she said.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, whose country takes over the European Union (EU)'s rotating presidency from July 1, cited neighbouring Serbia as a good example of the EU's firm stance.

"We are very anxious to see Croatia start its negotiations onaccession, but the (EU is) clear about the need for full cooperation in the same way every other former republic in Yugoslavia has cooperated," he said.

He cited the EU green light given to Serbia and Montenegro this week to start talks on an association accord with the EU after the surrender of former Yugoslav army chief Nebojsa Pavkovic to the ICTY.

"The fact that Pavkovic has given himself up to the tribunal in the Hague is proof of the importance of the firm and consistent line by the EU in support of the war criminal tribunal in the Hague," said Straw.

Sanader meanwhile acknowledged that was no immediate prospect of a breakthrough, saying the process could take weeks or even months.

"There will be no breakthrough," he told AFP. "This is the start of a process which will be certainly of assistance and will be helpful ... to overcome this situation," he said.