The High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling:

Sorry for the delay. This afternoon I just came back from

Vienna

, from the
conference of European Union Interior Ministers. The ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla
Del Ponte and I just had a very useful meeting together with and our aides and
with the Principle Deputy High Representative.

This was one of our regular exchanges of information to review the process;
there is progress that Bosnia and
Herzegovina
in particular, and the Republika
Srpska is making in cooperation with the ICTY. All the developments are taken
very seriously and you can see that from the decision of the European Union to
interrupt the negotiations with

Serbia
and

Montenegro
. And
of course that should not happen to Bosnia and
Herzegovina
, so we have to look very closely at
the developments also in Bosnia and
Herzegovina
, and specifically in the Republica
Srpska.

I would say that we have no specific hints now about Republika Srpska, but I
only hope that in this time now the question in

Serbia

also gets
solved in a positive way, because I think it is also bad if the region is in
this way making steps back on the road to

Europe. My main
responsibility is to push this way to

Europe in the best
way that we can. I would say that we have so far had some setbacks in our
parliamentary situation here with the reforms and also the police reform is
quite difficult as we can see. But, I hope that the question of cooperation with
the ICTY is really as it was announced by the Prime Minister of Republika
Srpska. I am quite happy that we do not have any specific objections to that. So
I think it was a positive meeting.

ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte:

Thank you Mr. High Representative. Yes, we had one of our regular and usual
meetings. However, I am here in

Sarajevo

today because as you know,
I was participating in the seminar organised by three NGOs from

Serbia

,

Bosnia
and Herzegovina

and

Croatia

. I think
it was important because the main points of discussion were truth and
reconciliation. It was also interesting to listen to the intervention of the
Chief Prosecutor Marinko Jurčević and the President of the Court of Bosnia and
Herzegovina Mrs. Kreso, and of course Judge Schomburg also spoke on behalf of
the Tribunal.

So, being here of course I could not omit to have a meeting with General
Chiarini, the Commander of EUFOR and General Webber, the Commander of NATO. We
discussed fugitives and in particular Karadžić, because as you know I am
focusing with

Belgrade

and I am
fighting with

Belgrade

to obtain
Mladić, but I am not forgetting that Karadžić is still also at large. So, what
other information we can collect or they have collected? And I must say there is
no particular information.

I would like to know if Karadžić is in Republika Srpska or in

Montenegro

or in

Serbia

. 
But I do not know. I have absolutely no information. So, I am asking NATO and
EUFOR to be more proactive, because I think it is important that if Karadžić is
not here that they make a verification of that kind of rumour, so that I can
divert my attention to another country.

Of course, I also met with the Chief Prosecutor and we discussed the transfer
of cases and because as you know I was asking for another 11

BIS cases for Srebrenica, accused Trbic and
we discussed the modalities of transfer of documents, and we hope that in the
near future it will be possible, under the new law here, to transfer documents
electronically because there are kilos and tons of documents.

I can confirm what the High Representative said about our meeting together.
We have no particular problems to solve, except – still – for the cooperation of
Republika Srpska with us. We hope that the new Prime Minister will do as he
publicly said – that he will provide full cooperation. We are still working on
that, so it will be the next time I come here that we can tell you more about if
I am satisfied or not. Of course, I need the support of the High Representative
and I think I have no problem for that. We will see if I need him to use the

Bonn

powers or not, I hope not
because I know I do not want to use them and you can understand that. But let us
see and let’s hope that I will not have to ask him to use this particular
instrument.

Thank you very much.

The High Representative, Christian Schwarz-Schilling:

I just want to add that you know that I have announced that I will use the

Bonn
powers for the ICTY question if
needed. You can be sure of that.

RTQs

Daria Sito-Sucic, Reuters News Agency:

Do you hope that Mladić will be handed over to the Tribunal by June before
you address the UN Security Council. Can you comment on Prime Minister
Koštunica’s denial of the April deadline, that he promised that deadline to
you?

ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte:

So, Mladić for me is a big disappointment. Prime Minister Koštunica is also a
big disappointment because he promised me, and not only me but he also promised
Commissioner Olli Rehn who called him in my presence when I was in

Brussels

  that by the end of
April Mladić would be in

The
Hague

.
So you can imagine my disappointment.  Prime Minister Koštunica is free to
say what he wants. I insist and I confirm that he promised to deliver Mladić by
the end of April. But, I read this morning travelling here that he said that he
did not promise this to the International Community. He did not mention me, he
did not mention the Commissioner – he only mentioned the International
Community. So, literally it is true – it was not a public announcement to the
International Community. So, just in favour of that, how can I say, diplomatic
declaration.

And now we are in a new episode of the Mladić story. The negotiations could
continue on 11 May as it was fixed. So the decision is not to continue, the
talks have been suspended. But, Commissioner Olli Rehn said that if in the
meantime Mladić is transferred to The Hague the talks will be continued. I am an optimist. The
prosecutor is an optimist – I do not know how much longer, but I am. I hope
Mladić will be transferred to the Hague before 11 May. Let us see.

Amer Cohadzic, Associated Press Television:

Ms. Del Ponte, have you heard about this morning’s operation in

Belgrade

– the operation by the Serb
authorities on Mladić’s house in

Belgrade

, in fact his son’s house?
Can you comment on that? This is the tenth of fifteenth operation of this kind
in

Serbia

in
regard to Mladić and there have never been any results. Do you think these
operations are ridiculous, or funny or…what do you think?

ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte:

Two weeks ago they searched the apartment of the family of Mladić. Two weeks
ago. So I do not think that two weeks after it is possible to find something. So
let me say that it is just for show. Unfortunately.

BHTV:

Ms. Del Ponte, why do you rarely talk about Radovan Karadžić? 

ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte:

You are right. But, I am not forgetting Karadžić. These weeks and months I am
focusing on Mladić. You cannot imagine how much work must be done. I am not
forgetting Karadžić. Somebody else in my office is following that. But, as soon
as I have Mladić we will put Karadžić as our priority. I also have four other
fugitives and I do not forget anybody. I want to have all six in
the Hague

before my mandate expires.

Thank you very much.