The EU's reaction to the capture of one of Serbia's most wanted war criminals reads like a terse school report: "Good progress but must try harder." Brussels has applauded the news of Radovan Karadzic's capture, but it won't soften demands that Belgrade must track down its remaining fugitives.
"At last! At last! After thirteen years of waiting, the day has come"
beamed France's Bernard Kouchner during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
But Belgrade would be wrong to interpret the smiles and pats on the back that were being shared around on Tuesday as a sign that it's been let off the hook and can now nudge open the door to EU membership. There's a long way to go, Mr Kouchner cautioned. "Okay, Karadzic has been arrested. But Ratko Mladic has not."
Swedish Foreign minister Carl Bildt - a former UN Balkans envoy - also moderated his praise, saying the arrest was "a very significant step. Not necessarily THE step, but a step."
No change of rules
Dutch European Affairs Minister, Frans Timmermans, stresses that the rules of the game remain unchanged.
"Our original demand was that Belgrade cooperate fully with the War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague. That means the arrest and extradition of four war crimes suspects. We now have two. We need another two" he said, referring to former military chief Ratko Mladic and to Goran Hadzic, former head of the breakaway Serb republic in Croatia.
In a statement issued after the talks, the ministers said Serbia could still "accelerate its progress towards the EU." But they gave no timeframe for winning candidate status, a crucial rung up the EU ladder that Belgrade wants to climb by the end of this year.
More proof
The first stage of the accession process, a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Brussels and Belgrade, has so far been blocked by the Netherlands and Belgium. And even now, minister Timmermans warns against rushing into an endorsement.
"First we will have to look at what the chief prosecutor of the Yugoslavia Tribunal has to say on the issue. He's best placed to judge whether Serbia is cooperating. And then we will have to make our own assessment whether Serbia is fully complying with the conditions set by the Council of Europe on 29 April."
Economic boost
There are others in Brussels who are keener to forge ahead with closer ties with Belgrade.
The EU's Enlargement Commissioner, Ollie Rehn, told reporters that the time is ripe to offer Belgrade the economic boost of better trading conditions. "From the Commission's point of view, we should start implementing the interim agreement - that is the trade-related part of the SAA agreement - now", he said.
Frans Timmermans retorted that Mr. Rehn would have to be 'clearer' on exactly what he was proposing, and said it was ultimately up to the EU's 27 member states to decide jointly on Europe's position.
Detailed discussions on this are scheduled to begin next week. Radovan Karadzic is expected to arrive in The Hague around the same time.
Tags:
Bosnia,
Brussels,
EU,
Goran Hadzic,
Radovan Karadzic,
Ratko Mladic,
war crimes
Lyn,
lfvetnya@yahoo.com,
25-07-2008
- USA
This is another case of the double standard, and as one earlier commentator wrote it is just victor's justice. That the USA and EU continue to deny Belgrade prosperity is shameful. All of the ethnic groups share some guilt in the problem. Serb people still have to defend themselves from Muslim abuses and EU and US interference.
zocho,
24-07-2008
- albania
Boki calm down
Serbia is small country and can’t influence USA or EU. During the Yugoslavian disintegration Serbia was governed by a wrong person at the wrong time. Every ethnic group in Bosnia committed atrocities. Certainly, some people are quiltier than other. Serbia lost, simple as that. It’s nothing new. It is a double standard imposed as victor’s justice.
Stalin didn’t go to criminal court for systematic shelling and killing German polulation from Kaliningrad. Harry Truman’s nuclear attack order on Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed 200 000 mostly women and children. He is still American hero because he ended the Second World War and prevented many American solders lives. I guess nobody notices differences between civilians and military personals.
And the list goes on and on.
Kissinger and Nixon’s "Secret bombing’ are responsible for crime in Cambodia, (600,000 peasants killed). Boris Yeltsin and Putin are to blame for crimes in Chechnya .I won’t even mention terrible tragedy in Iraq. According to antiwar.com, since the USA intervention in Iraq 1245538 people have been killed so far.
Serbian people have to accept the reality. The faster Mladic and Hadjic are at criminal court at Den Haag the faster Serbian people will forget their humiliation and blame for the war crimes and if they are lucky and they please enough the” leaders of the free word“ they might be even rewarded for that.
Boki,
23-07-2008
- Serbia
To EU bureaucrats and this very ignorant commentator “Marc Bryant” (not to use harsher words for someone who doesn't even know history) here's one comment from Serbia. EU policies towards Serbia are nothing but shameful. It wasn’t enough with bombing and sanctions, extradition of more then 44 Serbs in last 10 years (including presidents, generals, and others) to a biased Hague Tribunal, now new terms keep coming, the brand new pressure for Serbia. You know what - we Serbs had enough of your Western hypocrisy. If Serbia is pushed again, and it seems that’s what EU loves to do, then EU will have a much bigger problem to deal with in the Balkans, for years to come. Mark my words, Holland.
Mark Bryant,
23-07-2008
- Europe
We have to remember history as far as Serbia. Serbia started World War I, which precipitated World War II. Serbia was also involved in murderous and bloody ethnic wars over the last decade.
Serbia really is Pandora's Box, so we need to be cautious admitting it into the Union. Circumstances are too complicated to rush a decision such as EU accession for that country.
