Hague cooperation takes back seat

Belgrade's cooperation with the Hague – the actual condition for EU integration – is in the shadow of Kosovo and elections. The complicated political situation in the country has additionally slowed down Serbia's cooperation with the UN war crimes court in The Hague. Hague cooperation takes back seat Although Serbia and the EU initialed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in November last year, an EU summit in January decided against allowing Belgrade to sign the deal – until it achieved full cooperation with the Tribunal. Now the government action team coordinators, War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic and Rasim Ljajic, are preparing for a trip to The Hague, in order to for the first time meet with the new chief prosecutor there, Serge Brammertz. In an interview for B92, Vuckovic Friday acknowledged that politics have had an impact on attempts to raise the cooperation to the level demanded of Serbia. The action team works with "diminished capacity", but the search for the fugitives continues, he added. Ratko Mladic, Radovan Karadzic, Stojan Zupljanin and Goran Hadzic are the four remaining Serbs wanted by the Tribunal on charges that include genocide and war crimes. "I can announced that next week Rasim Ljajic and I will travel to The Hague to meet with the new prosecutor. We will discuss further cooperation," Vukcevic said. According to him, the mood in the team set up to finalize Serbia's cooperation is additionally affected by the former chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's new book. "The Hunt" is set to be published in Italy at the end of this month. As in the past week, B92 will continue to bring you more details from the book in the coming days. But Vukcevic said that although he did not read the manuscript, "other than what was in the media", its "almost gossipy tone" surprised him. Serbia has officially reacted to the announced publishing of the book by sending protest notes to the Tribunal and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Hague cooperation takes back seat

Although Serbia and the EU initialed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) in November last year, an EU summit in January decided against allowing Belgrade to sign the deal – until it achieved full cooperation with the Tribunal.

Now the government action team coordinators, War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević and Rasim Ljajić, are preparing for a trip to The Hague, in order to for the first time meet with the new chief prosecutor there, Serge Brammertz.

In an interview for B92, Vučković Friday acknowledged that politics have had an impact on attempts to raise the cooperation to the level demanded of Serbia.

The action team works with "diminished capacity", but the search for the fugitives continues, he added.

Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić, Stojan Župljanin and Goran Hadžić are the four remaining Serbs wanted by the Tribunal on charges that include genocide and war crimes.

"I can announced that next week Rasim Ljajić and I will travel to The Hague to meet with the new prosecutor. We will discuss further cooperation," Vukčević said.

According to him, the mood in the team set up to finalize Serbia's cooperation is additionally affected by the former chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's new book.

"The Hunt" is set to be published in Italy at the end of this month. As in the past week, B92 will continue to bring you more details from the book in the coming days.

But Vukčević said that although he did not read the manuscript, "other than what was in the media", its "almost gossipy tone" surprised him.

Serbia has officially reacted to the announced publishing of the book by sending protest notes to the Tribunal and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.