Netherlands to approve EU trade deal with Serbia after Mladic's arrest, minister says

08/09/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said on Sunday (September 7th) that Belgrade must arrest former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic before an interim trade deal with the EU can be implemented. Alternatively, there must be a positive report on Serbia's co-operation with The Hague tribunal, Verhagen noted in an interview with the daily Dnevnik. Unless either of these developments happens, he said, the Netherlands will not allow the interim trade agreement to come into force.

In case of a positive outcome, "not only will the interim agreement come into force, but a decision on the start of the SAA ratification process in EU member states will also be made", he added. The SAA, signed in April, was immediately suspended due to Serbia's failure to fully co-operate with The Hague. (Dnevnik, Beta, B92 - 07/09/08)