By Daisy Ayliffe - 19th January 2006
The EU will halt talks with Serbia unless war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic is handed over for a July war crimes trial, the European commission warned on Thursday.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Hague war crimes investigator Carla del Ponte warned Belgrade suspension of the ‘stabilisation and association agreement’ talks (SAA) is now an option.
“It would be extremely difficult to conclude SAA negotiations with Serbia without full cooperation,” Rehn told reporters on Thursday.
“I need to consult member states, but suspension of the negotiations is one alternative.”
The warning follows meetings between Europe’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Rehn and the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
ICTY chief Carla Del Ponte said she wanted to see all fugitives accused of involvement in the Srebrenica massacre stand trial this summer.
But she warned this could not happen without help from Brussels.
“I need full co-operation from Serbia and I need help from EU to obtain that full co-operation,” Del Ponte declared.
“I want to put Mladic on trial in July this year along with the other nine accused of genocide. Mladic must appear in court in July.”
“I expect that the Serbian government to take this message very seriously so we do not have to resort to this option. It would have an extremely negative impact on negotiations,” Rehn added.
“Serbia has to choose between its nationalistic past a European future. I hope they choose European future.”
Next Wednesday, the commission agrees a perspective for the western Balkans ahead of a special summit of EU foreign ministers in March.
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