Paris. .- The President of Serbia, Boris Tadic, said today that his country has closed the "chapter" of the arrest of Bosnian Serb former general Ratko Mladic in the interest of society and not as a "bargaining chip" to negotiate accession to the Union (EU). "We close the chapter of Ratko Mladic for ourselves, not as a bargaining chip," Tadic said in an interview with radio station "France 24".
On day 26, Tadic announced the detention in a village in northern Serbia on Mladic, accused of genocide in Srebrenica and the brutal siege of Sarajevo during the three and half years of the Bosnian war and a fugitive from justice for more than 15 years . After the capture of suspected war criminal, the EU executive said that Serbia has overcome the biggest obstacle to its accession.
The next step for Serbia's accession to the EU will take place on October 10, when the European Commission (EC) give its opinion on whether Serbia deserves the status of "candidate." "Do not calculate the arrest of Mladic" to negotiate accession to the EU, the Serbian president reiterated, adding that his country has witnessed in recent years of "changes" to pursue "better conditions for foreign investors (...) to improve living conditions "and implement" changes in the cultural structure "Serbia.
Tadic said that Mladic "be transferred to the International Criminal Court (TPY) in the coming days" because there are procedures to be followed and that, once in court, expected to be subjected to "a fair trial." It is important to "close that chapter in the history of Serbia," said Tadic, who came to power two and half years ago and who explained that in the past five years had lost track of suspected war criminal.
"He's been changing his position over the past 15 years, is crystal clear. We had no information on his whereabouts over the last five. But we have been investigating all possible sites. We are now investigating what happened in recent years. But until 2006 we have a clear picture of what happened.
" He explained that initially Mladic, during "the period of (Slobodan) Milosevic, was protected by people in the government, the state of their own strength and intelligence." With the arrival of the "democratic process", after which in 2003 came into force a new constitution, Mladic escaped and "was protected by people who were not formally in the military or intelligence services, but with such experience.
" "At the end of the process, was protected by other people. Mainly by his friends, his family. We are investigating, but for me it is very important that has been completed, "the president of Serbia, which recalled that seek to clarify whether there were" people of the institutions or political parties involved "in the concealment of the former general.
Tadic, who held that no incidents have been recorded as taking place when it captured the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs Radovan Karadzic, called for other countries in the region follow the example of Serbia and face "honestly and openly" to the challenge of investigating what happened during the war in former Yugoslavia.
"I hope the international community deal with all cases that are not closed. For example, the case of war crimes and human organ trafficking in Kosovo (...). That case has to be investigated also because there are extremely serious allegations, "said Tadic. On the other hand, the Serbian president was convinced that he can" find a pragmatic solution for Kosovo in the future "but qualified that this does not mean that Serbia will recognize the independence of that territory and that Belgrade will defend their "legitimate national interests." 
On day 26, Tadic announced the detention in a village in northern Serbia on Mladic, accused of genocide in Srebrenica and the brutal siege of Sarajevo during the three and half years of the Bosnian war and a fugitive from justice for more than 15 years . After the capture of suspected war criminal, the EU executive said that Serbia has overcome the biggest obstacle to its accession.
The next step for Serbia's accession to the EU will take place on October 10, when the European Commission (EC) give its opinion on whether Serbia deserves the status of "candidate." "Do not calculate the arrest of Mladic" to negotiate accession to the EU, the Serbian president reiterated, adding that his country has witnessed in recent years of "changes" to pursue "better conditions for foreign investors (...) to improve living conditions "and implement" changes in the cultural structure "Serbia.
Tadic said that Mladic "be transferred to the International Criminal Court (TPY) in the coming days" because there are procedures to be followed and that, once in court, expected to be subjected to "a fair trial." It is important to "close that chapter in the history of Serbia," said Tadic, who came to power two and half years ago and who explained that in the past five years had lost track of suspected war criminal.
"He's been changing his position over the past 15 years, is crystal clear. We had no information on his whereabouts over the last five. But we have been investigating all possible sites. We are now investigating what happened in recent years. But until 2006 we have a clear picture of what happened.
" He explained that initially Mladic, during "the period of (Slobodan) Milosevic, was protected by people in the government, the state of their own strength and intelligence." With the arrival of the "democratic process", after which in 2003 came into force a new constitution, Mladic escaped and "was protected by people who were not formally in the military or intelligence services, but with such experience.
" "At the end of the process, was protected by other people. Mainly by his friends, his family. We are investigating, but for me it is very important that has been completed, "the president of Serbia, which recalled that seek to clarify whether there were" people of the institutions or political parties involved "in the concealment of the former general.
Tadic, who held that no incidents have been recorded as taking place when it captured the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs Radovan Karadzic, called for other countries in the region follow the example of Serbia and face "honestly and openly" to the challenge of investigating what happened during the war in former Yugoslavia.
"I hope the international community deal with all cases that are not closed. For example, the case of war crimes and human organ trafficking in Kosovo (...). That case has to be investigated also because there are extremely serious allegations, "said Tadic. On the other hand, the Serbian president was convinced that he can" find a pragmatic solution for Kosovo in the future "but qualified that this does not mean that Serbia will recognize the independence of that territory and that Belgrade will defend their "legitimate national interests."
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