Hague prosecutor starts Belgrade visit

Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is today starting his two-day visit to Belgrade. The visit comes as part of his preparations to submit a report on Serbia’s cooperation with The Hague-based UN court to the UN Security Council.

During his visit, Brammertz will meet with President Boris Tadić, PM Mirko Cvetković, and officials in charge of the cooperation.

National Council for Hague Cooperation Office Director Dušan Ignjatović said he does not expect any “spectacular u-turns” to take place with the visit.

“We expect that there is a demonstration and confirmation of the cooperation with the tribunal, that it is demonstrated that since June, in those aspects where it was possible, the cooperation has even been imporoved.”

“Whether he will use the words ‘full cooperation’ or not, we can’t even speculate on that at this time. We expect at this moment is a positive report that will confirm that there is very good, continuous cooperation of Serbia with the Hague Tribunal,” he said.

Serbia’s continued EU integration hinges on the appraisal. The Netherlands is asking for the arrest of the last two fugitives – Bosnian Serb Ratko Mladić and Croatian Serb Goran Hadžić – before it agrees to unfreeze the Interim Trade Agreement.

That deal is part of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), suspended immediately after it was signed in April 2008.

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