Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Trade ban lifted, Serbia closer to EU

|
|
 
  
Published: Dec. 7, 2009 at 7:24 PM

BELGRADE, Serbia, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The European Union says it will unfreeze its Interim Trade Agreement with Serbia, citing the country's cooperation with the United Nations' war crimes tribunal.

The decision came after the Netherlands ended its 18-month opposition to closer EU ties for Serbia, BBC News reported Monday.

The Dutch government had been holding up the trade deal, demanding Serbia do more to track down fugitive Balkans war crimes suspects.

The breakthrough came after EU ministers met with Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, who reported positively on Serbia's assistance to the tribunal, Serbian broadcaster B92 reported.

Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested last year. But Brammertz said Serbia must continue searching for both Gen. Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian-Serb military leader and Goran Hadzic, wanted for war crimes in Croatia, the BBC said.

The unblocking of the agreement removes a major obstacle to Serbia's eventual EU membership, analysts said.

Topics: Ratko Mladic
© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional World News Stories
1 of 21
President Obama Signs Smuggling Prevention Act at White House
View Caption
fark
If we timewarped back by 2000 years, what job would you most qualified to do? No, you can't bring...
BAD: getting caught in a landslide while hiking. WORSE: getting struck by lightning while trying...
Weepy eyes, hot chix, Jersey Shore Ronnie and a guy with mini fishing reels stuck in his beard....
French roadbuilders find 21 German WWI soldiers...and 1 goat
Photoshop this crazy old coot in the cold
Anonymous ends the week by bringing down the CIA webpage. *golf clap*