SERBIA: United Nations war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte says Serbia still lax on Mladic search

UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte said on Tuesday (October 3, 2006was not satisfied with Serbia's search for war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic, whose arrest is key to the country clinching closer ties to the European Union. "I must tell you that I am not satisfied about the implementation of this action plan," she said, referring to the Serbian governments roadmap to find and arrest Mladic, who is twice indicted for genocide for his role in the 1992-95 Bosnia war. Asked about whether she would give a positive assessment to the EU so that suspended talks on closer ties may restart, she replied to see in the next weeks and that she hopes so because she is an optimist. This was del Pontes fourth trip to Belgrade this year and included the usual rounds of meetings with top officials including Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica. In May, the EU suspended talks on a so-called Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the first step to eventual membership, to punish Belgrade for its failure to arrest the Bosnian Serb former general. Last week, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said talks would remain suspended for now as Serbia had shown no sign of progress.

ITN Source | October 4, 2006

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