Reuters AlertNet Lite - Del Ponte calls for support on Serb war crimes issue

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Del Ponte calls for support on Serb war crimes issue

14 Feb 2007 14:47:13 GMT
Source: Reuters

BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte expressed concern on Wednesday that the international community was losing interest in supporting her efforts to bring Serbian war crimes suspects to justice.

"We have to close the door in 2010 ... and we have the international community that is no longer so engaged to help us," she told a news conference after meeting Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht.

The mandate of the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) expires in 2010.

"If we still believe in the rule of law ... if we still believe in international justice, I need the international community to support our mandate," del Ponte said.

De Gucht, whose government is insisting the European Union take a tough line on the issue with Serbia, said Belgium was against resuming talks with Belgrade on closer ties with the EU unless there was a "green light" from del Ponte.

"I think it would be a complete disaster and we would pay for it in the future," he said adding it would have consequences for the rest of the Balkans.

De Gucht said there were some in the EU who hoped that relaxing the EU's tough position on restarting talks with Serbia would encourage Belgrade to agree to a U.N. plan effectively envisaging the independence for the break-away Kosovo province.

"That's simply not correct. Those who are making that kind of political analysis are wrong," he said.

Some EU states, including Spain, Italy and central European neighbours, favour resuming talks with Serbia on an agreement that is a first step towards EU membership, despite Belgrade's failure to bring key war crimes suspects to justice.

Belgium and the Netherlands say the talks suspended last May should not resume until Serbia cooperates fully with the Hague tribunal in bringing suspects, including former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, to trial.

Del Ponte appealed to the EU last month not to resume the talks until Belgrade handed over Mladic.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told Serb leaders this month full cooperation with the U.N. court was a condition for concluding talks on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

But he indicated a clear commitment from a new government to cooperate fully with the court could be enough to allow a resumption of the negotiations.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday expressed readiness to resume talks if Serbia showed "clear commitment and takes concrete and effective action for full cooperation" with Del Ponte's tribunal.

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Last updated:Wed Feb 14 14:47:32 2007