Serbia makes progress toward EU goals

BELGRADE, Serbia, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Serbia has maintained its European orientation and has improved cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, a European Commission report says.

But the progress report, due to be officially issued Wednesday, also states the country still needs to demonstrate a constructive attitude towards Kosovo, and especially towards the EULEX mission in northern Kosovo, if it wants to move closer to EU membership, the Serbian news Web site B92 reported Wednesday.

The Web site said the Commission is expected to advise EU member states to support unfreezing the Interim Trade Agreement between Serbia and the EU, even though fugitive war criminals Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic have not yet been arrested and extradited to The Hague to face charges stemming from the killing of civilians in the 1990s Balkans War.

The European Commission report says crime and corruption remain a grave concern in Kosovo, but notes that political stability has been preserved, B92 said.

"Certain progress has been made in adopting laws and strengthening administrative capacity," the document says of efforts to implement EU reforms, reportedly stressing that "decentralization in the interests of all communities is still the key challenge."