EU official scraps planned Serbia visit over handling of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic’s death
Kos said the glorification of Ratko Mladic’s death is incompatible with EU values and a test of Serbia’s accession path.
- EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos canceled her Friday visit to Serbia, stating the glorification surrounding Ratko Mladić's death is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built.
- Mladić's remains arrived in Belgrade on a Serbian government plane Thursday, a week after his death, sparking outrage as officials had previously planned state honors for the convicted war criminal.
- Council of Europe Commissioner Michael Flaherty condemned the honors as 'shameful and disrespectful for the victims,' while Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot urged authorities to counter the glorification of convicted war criminals.
- President Aleksandar Vucic dismissed the criticism on N1 television, calling the explanation 'very short but stupid,' while asserting that Mladić's family, not the state, arranged the funeral.
- European Parliament member Vladimir Prebilic urged the EPP to 'stop acting as a safe haven' for Vucic's party, warning that public celebration of war criminals complicates Serbia's stalled EU accession process.
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With military honour, the body of the Bosnian-Serbian war criminal Mladic will be welcomed in Belgrade. This goes too far for the EU Enlargement Commissioner Kos. She changes her travel plans in the short term and exhorts the country to join the EU.
Serbia is Slovenia's 12th most important economic partner and the second most important market for Slovenian direct investments.
Serbia accused of ‘glorifying’ convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić ahead of funeral
BELGRADE, Serbia — The European Union’s Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos on Friday canceled an upcoming visit to candidate nation Serbia over what she described as the “glorification” of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladić following his death.
The European Commissioner for Enlargement cancels her trip to Belgrade
In parts of the Balkans, the war criminal Ratko Mladić is also revered after his death, he is to be buried with military honours. EU Commissioner Marta Kos strongly criticizes the handling – and challenges Serbia's accession to the EU.
European Commissioner Marta Kos, responsible for enlargement, cancelled a visit to Serbia on Friday due to "Glorification of the war killer Ratko Mladic, whose earthly remains were greeted with military honors in Belgrade," reports AFP.
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