Trade ban lifted, Serbia closer to EU

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.