Top Dutch diplomat Verhagen urges Serbia to fulfil obligations to ITCY.

By bne IntelliNews December 17, 2009
The Netherlands firmly believes in Serbia s European future, but Belgrade should first meet its obligations towards the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague (ICTY) before it can resume the EU integration, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxim Verhagen has stated during his Dec 16 visit to Belgrade . Following a meeting with his Serbian counterpart, Vuk Jeremic, Verhagen noted that the Dutch government would stay firm but fair when it comes to the standards Serbia and the Balkan region need to fulfil in order to join the union. Serbia should do all that is necessary to arrest and extradite to the Hague tribunal the remaining fugitives, including Ratko Mladic, Verhagen noted. On a related note, local media reported that Serbia and the Netherlands have inked a MoU between the two governments which aims to support Serbia in its further EU path . The support will be implemented by strengthening the institutional and administrative capacities of the country in order to bring them in line with the EU standards, by application of certain legal regulations, as well as through environmental programs, such as energy efficiency improvement and utilisation of technologies for environmental protection.

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