OSCE Mission in Croatia

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We too are pleased to welcome Ambassador Semneby [Head of Mission in Croatia] back to the Permanent Council today. And we thank him for his informative statement as well as his continuing good work and that of the members of his very able Mission in Croatia.

We were also pleased that the Representative of the European Commission delegation in Zagreb, Ambassador Wunenburger, was able to participate yesterday in the informal meeting. In that regard I would like to take this opportunity to introduce and to welcome United States Ambassador to Croatia, the Honorable Lawrence Rossin, who is seated behind me here today. As Ambassador Rossin’s presence attests, the United States fully supports the cooperation between the OSCE field missions and the other members of the international community, such as the European Commission.

Yesterday’s joint briefing by Ambassadors Semneby and Wunenburger in the informal meeting was particularly useful and informative, we thought. And if you permit me, Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by fully endorsing the Status Report and by commending the Mission for producing such a thorough assessment of the current situation in Croatia, as it pertains to the mission mandate.

We are pleased to hear that cooperation between the OSCE Mission and the Government of Croatia is improving through constant and constructive dialogue. This cooperation can only bolster OSCE’s capability to assist the Government of Croatia to effect the reforms to which it is committed. As noted in the Status Report, Croatia has made substantial progress toward meeting its mission mandate, and we commend the Government of Croatia for this progress. At the same time, however, there are several areas that still require, we believe, significant attention and action. Among these let me specifically cite war crimes, refugee return and reintegration, and judicial reform.

On war crimes, we underscore the need to achieve full compliance with international obligations regarding the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. We note and appreciate recent movement in that direction and urge its continuation to completion. This will be indispensable to maintain Croatia’s positive international relationships.

We also urge the Government of Croatia to continue its commitment to national prosecution of alleged war criminals, without regard to ethnicity. Some progress has been made in this direction, but problems have also been encountered.

Mr. Chairman, another issue of particular concern to the United States is the return and the reintegration of refugees to Croatia. Unwelcoming public attitudes, inadequate administrative and legal protections, and economic stagnation are only a few of the many obstacles to successful returns.

While we appreciate the Mission’s efforts and recognize that the Croatian government has taken some steps to adopt policies that would make returns more successful, there is still significant work to be done in this area. In particular, we urge the Government of Croatia to implement and vigorously to enforce the existing laws regarding property repossession and reconstruction assistance. The progress that has been made on these issues can only bear fruit on the ground if there is a commitment to complete a timely implementation by the Croatian government.

The issue of occupancy and tenancy rights must also be addressed. All refugees and displaced persons must have an authentic opportunity to return home.

Mr. Chairman, judicial reform poses a huge challenge. An effectively functioning judicial system is critical to create a climate for investment, to promote sustainable return of refugees, and to address adequately civil and criminal cases stemming from the armed conflict. As the Status Report emphasizes, justice delayed is justice denied.

The issues I have mentioned, war crimes, refugee return, and judicial reform, are challenges that the Government of Croatia must address head-on in order to bring to fruition its aspirations to join Euro-Atlantic organizations, notably NATO and EU. The mission activity and its mandate serves those Croatian ambitions, which we endorse.

The United States thus pledges its continuing support to the Mission. A genuine spirit of cooperation between the Government of Croatia and the OSCE Mission will yield progress on the challenges facing Croatia as encompassed in the Mission’s mandate. I thank you, Mr. Chairman.