EU Envoy Cancels Serbia Visit Amid Controversy Over Mladic Tributes
Marta Kos, the European Union’s chief for enlargement, has cancelled her scheduled visit to Serbia. This decision comes after public tributes were paid to Ratko Mladic, a convicted war criminal who recently passed away. Ms. Kos stated that such “glorification” is not compatible with the basic principles of the European Union.
Ms. Kos announced her decision on Friday. She used a social media post to condemn the “glorification” seen after Mladic’s death. She said these actions are against the values on which the EU is built. Therefore, she decided not to go to Serbia at this time.
Ratko Mladic died on August 27 at 84 years old. He was serving a life sentence in The Hague. He had been found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. These terrible acts happened during the Bosnian War. Mladic was known as the “Butcher of Bosnia” for his role.
His body was flown from The Hague to Belgrade. There, it received military honors on Thursday. Many supporters cheered as his body was driven through the city. Some people in Serbia still view Mladic as a hero. This is despite a UN court finding him guilty in 2017.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic criticized Ms. Kos’s explanation. He called it “very short but stupid.” President Vucic also said his government would help with logistics for Mladic’s funeral. He expects tens of thousands of people to attend the event.
Serbia has been talking about joining the EU since 2014. However, progress has been slow in recent years. This has happened during President Vucic’s time in office. The EU often stresses the importance of respecting international law and war crimes judgments for countries seeking to join.
The Bosnian War caused over 100,000 deaths. Mladic was a key military leader in this conflict. He is closely linked to the Srebrenica genocide. In July 1995, his forces killed more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica.
