Rehn says Karadzic's arrest may make Serbia an EU candidate early next year

25/07/2008

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said on Thursday (July 24th) that Serbia could become a candidate for EU membership in the first half of 2009 due to the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. It was a key step in Serbia's co-operation with The Hague war crimes tribunal that must be recognised, Rehn noted in an interview with state broadcaster RTS.

Dutch European Affairs Minister Frans Timmermans also praised Karadzic's arrest as an important step towards full co-operation but told the daily Dnevnik that the final proof would be the arrest of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also called for Mladic's arrest on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the UN war crimes tribunal prosecution has been reviewing Karadzic's indictment from 2000 to determine whether it needs updates or changes, prosecution spokeswoman Olga Kavran said. The indictment contains 11 counts stemming from Karadzic's role in the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Independent, AP - 25/07/08, Beta, Tanjug, B92, RTS, Dnevnik, TV BiH, AFP - 24/07/08)