Date of release : 13-06-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council

During the General Affairs and External Relations Council in Luxembourg on 13 June 2005, the European Ministers for Foreign Affairs discussed the latest developments in the dossier on governmental cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Jean Asselborn, current President of the Council of the European Union, made the following statement to the press: “We based our discussions on the report by Mme Del Ponte to United Nations Security Council and on the letter that she sent to the Presidency last week.

First of all, I would like to state that Croatia is a candidate for accession and that the bilateral intergovernmental conference for launching accession negotiations will be convened with a common agreement as soon as the Council has confirmed that Croatia is cooperating fully with the ICTY. There is no doubt whatsoever of our will to begin these negotiations as soon as the conditions are met.

In her letter to the Presidency of 7 June 2005, the ICTY Chief Prosecutor confirmed that by implementing its action plan, Croatia is progressing on a path that could lead to full cooperation with the ICTY. She also acknowledged that three to four months may nevertheless be necessary to evaluate whether these new efforts have produced concrete results.

The Council noted this new element with satisfaction and encouraged Croatia to continue to intensify its efforts on this path.

We will continue to examine this dossier in July, that is, under the UK Presidency. The Council will continue to consult on the dossier and hopes that there new progress can be announced in July."