Written question asked by Calum Macdonald (Labour) on Thursday, 27 January 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 February 2005. It was answered by Denis MacShane (Labour) on Thursday, 3 February 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what efforts he is making to secure the arrest of indicted war criminals (a) Ante Gotovina, (b) Ratko Mladic and (c) Radovan Karadzic.

Answer: Mr. MacDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he is making to secure the arrest of indicted war criminals (a) Ante Gotovina, (b) Ratko Mladic and (c) Radovan Karadzic. [212016] Mr. MacShane: The UK remains fully committed to bringing Ante Gotovina, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic to trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague. Their continued presence at large is an obstacle to justice and reconciliation, and to the region's political and economic development. The UK Government continue to pursue diplomatic, political and operational efforts to bring about the detention and transfer to The Hague of all fugitive indictees. The UK urges all the countries in the region to fulfil their international obligations, especially full co- operation with the ICTY. Failure to do so will continue to delay their progress towards closer integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. I raised the Gotovina case with President Mesic of Croatia on 27 January and the two serb indictees was discussed with Vuk Draskovic, the Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro on 1 February.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 212016; 430 c1104-5W
Session: 2004-05
Subjects: Arrests War crimes Yugoslavia International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk