Dutch unmoved by U.S. thumbs-up

Holland’s position has not changed despite the U.S.’s assessment that Serbia is cooperating with the Hague, says the Dutch Foreign Ministry.

Izvor: B92

Friday, 29.05.2009.

10:15

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Holland’s position has not changed despite the U.S.’s assessment that Serbia is cooperating with the Hague, says the Dutch Foreign Ministry. In the wake of the U.S. administration’s announcement that it believed Serbia was cooperating with the Hague, Bart Rijs, a spokesman for the Dutch ministry, told B92 that Holland had not changed its position, and that what mattered most for it was what Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz had to say in his report to the UN Security Council. Dutch unmoved by U.S. thumbs-up “Holland will hold consultations with UN representatives, but, as we’ve always said up to now, unfreezing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement requires full cooperation with the Hague, and the best proof of that is the arrest of Ratko Mladic,“ B92 was informed. Brammertz is due to submit his report to the Security Council on June 4. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Washington believed that Serbia was cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, and that this stance would take the form of an official document on June 1. This was confirmed to a group of journalists from Serbia in Washington by Assistant Secretary of State Stuart Jones. “The U.S. believes that Serbia is cooperating with the Tribunal in The Hague, and if Holland asks us what we think, that’s what we’ll tell them,” said Jones, whose area of responsibility is Europe and Eurasia. However, he added that Washington continued to insist on Ratko Mladic’s arrest and extradition to The Hague, but that that was something Serbia had to take care of itself. “On that score, we’ll offer Belgrade any help it needs if it asks us,” said Jones. He said that the recent visit to Belgrade by U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden had been very successful, and that a key message had been sent that the White House wanted better relations with Serbia. “In that context, we’re not asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo, and that’s not a condition for improving relations,” said the State Department official. "The U.S. understands Belgrade’s diplomacy, which is persuading other countries not to recognize Kosovo, and the only area we could foresee a problem arising is if Serbia stops cooperating with EULEX," he said. At the same time, Jones said that the Kosovo Serbs had to have the same rights and must not be imperiled, but that it was unacceptable that they should seek those rights through violence. Hillary Clinton (FoNet, archive)

Dutch unmoved by U.S. thumbs-up

“Holland will hold consultations with UN representatives, but, as we’ve always said up to now, unfreezing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement requires full cooperation with the Hague, and the best proof of that is the arrest of Ratko Mladić,“ B92 was informed.

Brammertz is due to submit his report to the Security Council on June 4.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Washington believed that Serbia was cooperating with the Hague Tribunal, and that this stance would take the form of an official document on June 1.

This was confirmed to a group of journalists from Serbia in Washington by Assistant Secretary of State Stuart Jones.

“The U.S. believes that Serbia is cooperating with the Tribunal in The Hague, and if Holland asks us what we think, that’s what we’ll tell them,” said Jones, whose area of responsibility is Europe and Eurasia.

However, he added that Washington continued to insist on Ratko Mladić’s arrest and extradition to The Hague, but that that was something Serbia had to take care of itself.

“On that score, we’ll offer Belgrade any help it needs if it asks us,” said Jones.

He said that the recent visit to Belgrade by U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden had been very successful, and that a key message had been sent that the White House wanted better relations with Serbia.

“In that context, we’re not asking Serbia to recognize Kosovo, and that’s not a condition for improving relations,” said the State Department official.

"The U.S. understands Belgrade’s diplomacy, which is persuading other countries not to recognize Kosovo, and the only area we could foresee a problem arising is if Serbia stops cooperating with EULEX," he said.

At the same time, Jones said that the Kosovo Serbs had to have the same rights and must not be imperiled, but that it was unacceptable that they should seek those rights through violence.

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