War crimes row delays Croatian bid to join EU

Ann Cahill, Europe Correspondent

EU Foreign Ministers voted not to start planned negotiations with the former Yugoslav state because it was not co-operating fully with the Tribunal.

Eight predominantly small, Catholic countries, including Ireland, spoke in favour of beginning talks with Croatia despite a negative report from chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte.

Croatia had been warned in December that the date for opening of negotiations would depend on Ms del Ponte reporting the state was co-operating fully with the UN Tribunal.

Minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs Noel Tracey said that Ireland favoured opening negotiations now and threatening to suspend them if Croatia was not working with the Tribunal.

“We have a moral and political responsibility to them and we must give them some hope for the future and not isolate them.”

Mr Tracey added he believed it would have been easier for the authorities within Croatia to face down the elements in the country that wanted to protect the wanted man, former army general Ante Gotovina, if negotiations had begun with the EU. Ms del Ponte accused the Croatian authorities of shielding Gotovina who is accused of murdering 150 Serbs and expelling 150,000 others living in Krajina.

She has charged the former general with crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war. She told the EU she believes the man is protected by Croatian officials and is living close to Zagreb.

This has been denied by the Croatian Prime Minister, Ivo Sanader, who made an emergency visit to Brussels this week. He insisted that Gotovina was no longer in the country. At one stage he was said to be in Ireland but Mr Tracey denied this.

The agreement of all the EU states is required to open negotiations with a potential new member. The British, Dutch and Swedes were all firmly opposed to starting talks now.