Brussels, 17/01/2005 (Agence Europe) -The president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn, and the EU High Representative for CFSP Javier Solana, met in turn on Monday in Brussels the prime minister of Croatia Ivo Sanader. The subject that largely dominated the meetings: Zagreb's cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia (ICTFY) in The Hague. It is common knowledge that the European Council last December gave the green light in principle for accession negotiations with Croatia on 17 March 2005 if the county fully co-operates with the ICTFY. The Commission had Luxembourg presidency of the EU will be gathering all necessary information over the next few weeks (including the opinion of Carla del Ponte, The Prosecutor General at the Tribunal in The Hague) to enable the General Affairs Council to decide on 17 March if negotiations can finally be opened.
Addressing the press after his meeting with Sanader, Rehn said that he was " encouraged" by Zagreb's willingness to cooperate "as effectively as possible with the ICTFY, notably for resolving the last remaining stumbling block, the arrest and transfer to The Hague of fugitive Croatian general Ante Gotovina. The latter informed the Luxembourg presidency in a letter (immediately sent to the ICTFY) that he was ready to give himself in but on the condition that he was tried by a Croatian court (EUROPE 14 January, p.3). This demand was obviously rejected. Rehn said that he was confident that the government would continue its further efforts to arrest Gotovina so that the EU would be able to say that full cooperation with the ICTFY had been reached. The Commissioner warned that if this "full cooperation was no forthcoming they would not be able to begin accession negotiations on 17 March, which would be a great disappointment to everyone. Such a scenario would be a disaster that should be avoided at all costs as opening negotiations is "an important step for Croatia, for the EU and for all the Western Balkans region". President Barroso also underlined the importance of opening negotiations with Zagreb "as Croatia could be a very good example" for other countries in South East Europe. He said that the country had made enormous progress in implementing political and economic reforms. Barroso added that if negotiations could begin on 17 March he "hoped that Croatia could become a member of the EU before the end of my mandate at the Commission, before the end of 2009".
Ivo Sanader explained to the press that his government sould do everything to arrest Gotovina and resolve, by 17 mars, " this last open issue", that of cooperation with the ICTFY. He said that his government was "fully committed" to resolving this last open issue and that they were calling on all Member States of the EU and all countries outside of it to sent them all relevant information on Mr Gotovina. He indicated that at the same time as the EU accession process, Croatia was also prepared to play a central role in the stabilisation of the Western Balkans. Mr Rehn welcomed this exemplary example of the second round of presidential elections in Croatia on the weekend and on the behalf of the Commission congratulated President, Stipe Mesic, who was re-elected.