Presence of Serbian officials at Mladic funeral ‘deeply regrettable’, say EU chiefs
EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa said official support at the funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladic contradicts the values underpinning Serbia's path towards the EU.
EU chief officials Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa have condemned the presence of Serbian officials at the funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladic, calling it deeply regrettable. The European Commission president and European Council boss wrote online that the elements of official support and the attendance of senior Serbian figures at the service were deeply regrettable.
The decision, they said, demonstrated a failure to confront a dark chapter in Europe's recent history and contradicted the values underpinning Serbia's path towards the EU. Mladic, convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1990s Bosnian conflict, died in The Hague last month at the age of 84. Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujic initially announced military and state honors for Mladic, sparking international outrage, before President Aleksandar Vucic moderated the decision.
The EU has yet to specify the repercussions for Serbia's EU candidacy, with enlargement chief Marta Kos already cancelling a visit to Belgrade and it appears likely von der Leyen will omit Serbia from an upcoming Balkans tour.
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