BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) is set to delay the planned start of EU entry talks with Croatia this week because Zagreb is not helping fully in the hunt for a key war crimes suspect, diplomats said Tuesday.
EU foreign ministers are to discuss on Wednesday whether to let Croatia start talks on Thursday, but most EU governments oppose giving a go-ahead for the talks until retired general Ante Gotovina is handed over.
"It is very likely to be a negative decision," said one source, while another said the EU's Luxembourg presidency had indicated that the EU ministers "will conclude that the negotiations cannot a priori begin."
Gotovina, a 48-year-old retired general, is considered a war hero by many Croatians but is wanted by the UN war crimes court for the alleged murder of at least 150 ethnic Serbs during the final stages of Croatia's 1991-95 war.
He is also accused of plundering Serbs' property during the war, during which Serb rebels opposed Croatia's breakaway from the former Yugoslavia.
03/15/2005 15:48 GMT