Serbia's Ljajic optimistic about Brammertz's report

08/09/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- The head of the country's national council for ties with the UN war crimes tribunal, Rasim Ljajic, said on Sunday (September 7th) he is optimistic about the upcoming report on Serbia's co-operation with The Hague war crimes tribunal. "I expect ... chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz to give a positive appraisal of Serbia's co-operation," Ljajic told reporters, adding he expects EU ministers to follow up with a favourable opinion. Brammertz begins a two-day visit to Belgrade on Wednesday and will present his report on Serbia's co-operation with the tribunal later this month. Serbian officials insist that the July arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic proved that Belgrade intends to fulfil all its obligations to the tribunal, a key condition for the European integration process to continue. Several EU member states, however, insist that Serbia must first arrest and extradite remaining war crimes fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic. (B92, Beta, RTS - 07/09/08)