"Key to arrest of Hague fugitives is in Serbia"

Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is ending his two-day visit to Belgrade today with meetings with President Boris Tadic and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic. The key to the arrest of the remaining two Hague fugitives is in Serbia and the arrest of Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic has no alternative, the Brammertz said on Wednesday after his meeting with Tadic. "Key to arrest of Hague fugitives is in Serbia" "Our main working hypothesis is that the remaining fugitives are in Serbia. There is no reason to believe otherwise. We believe that the key to the arrest of Mladic and Hadzic is in Serbia," Brammertz told reporters. Asked how his report will affect future decisions regarding Serbia's EU accession, the Hague prosecutor said that he "knows the EU is watching his reports closely". "But my job is to give an objective analysis of what has been done and what needs more work. It is up to others to make political decisions and conclusions," Brammertz said. Earlier on Wednesday, reports said that "it could be known today whether Serbia managed to convince Brammertz it is doing everything to find Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic". On the first day of the visit, Brammertz met with officials and operatives who are engage in the search for Mladic and Hadzic. Brammertz was demanding proof from the authorities that they are doing everything they can to arrest the remaining fugitives, because otherwise his report to the UN Security Council will not be favorable for Serbia. Meanwhile, the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal said in a statement that its president Rasim Ljajic had met with Brammertz, and that "Serbia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal is proceeding professionally and without difficulties". "Brammertz said that finding and arresting the two remaining fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic remains the open issue in Serbia's cooperation with the Hague and that this will be included in his report," said the statement. Serbia's good cooperation with the Hague includes presentation of documents, access to archives and witnesses and other technical aspects, the release says." Serge Brammertz (Beta) "Moral force" Boris Tadic told journalists that Serbia would continue pursuing the two remaining fugitives until they were arrested. “I conveyed this to Prosecutor Brammertz. Serbia is serious in its intent and I believe that even Brammertz agrees there is no dilemma about it,” said Tadic. He stressed that Serbia would spare no effort to complete its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. “We will continue doing all we can to have them arrested if they are in Serbia. We behave as if they were in Serbia,” Tadic underlined. The Serbian president did not wish to speculate what the new Brammertz's report to the UN Security Council would look like and also did not want to link Serbia's further steps towards the European Union with the Brammertz's report. “I think we should do all we can both with regard to the candidate status issue and the issue of arresting the fugitives. For sure, that is what Serbia is actually doing. I will not speculate on any possible dates. This year should be marked with work on both fronts. We have a chance to achieve success regarding both issues,” Tadic said. He pointed out that the arrest of Mladic and Hadzic "would give Serbia an additional moral force and international credibility when it came to the investigation into the allegations contained in the report by Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty". The report relates to alleged atrocities committed in Kosovo by the ethnic Albanian KLA. According to Tadic, the fact that the organ trade investigation "is formatted in such a way so as to reduce the chances of its success is causing a major concern". “It is fundamentally important that the investigation be an independent one. Serbia has no objections to the participation of EULEX in the investigation, but simple logic is that the mission cannot have a mandate in the territories of all countries that should be covered by the investigation,” said Tadic. He stressed that Serbia would continue to insist on the UN appointing an independent investigator and would not give up on that.

"Key to arrest of Hague fugitives is in Serbia"

"Our main working hypothesis is that the remaining fugitives are in Serbia. There is no reason to believe otherwise. We believe that the key to the arrest of Mladić and Hadžić is in Serbia," Brammertz told reporters.

Asked how his report will affect future decisions regarding Serbia's EU accession, the Hague prosecutor said that he "knows the EU is watching his reports closely".

"But my job is to give an objective analysis of what has been done and what needs more work. It is up to others to make political decisions and conclusions," Brammertz said.

Earlier on Wednesday, reports said that "it could be known today whether Serbia managed to convince Brammertz it is doing everything to find Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić".

On the first day of the visit, Brammertz met with officials and operatives who are engage in the search for Mladić and Hadžić.

Brammertz was demanding proof from the authorities that they are doing everything they can to arrest the remaining fugitives, because otherwise his report to the UN Security Council will not be favorable for Serbia.

Meanwhile, the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal said in a statement that its president Rasim Ljajić had met with Brammertz, and that "Serbia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal is proceeding professionally and without difficulties".

"Brammertz said that finding and arresting the two remaining fugitives Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić remains the open issue in Serbia's cooperation with the Hague and that this will be included in his report," said the statement.

Serbia's good cooperation with the Hague includes presentation of documents, access to archives and witnesses and other technical aspects, the release says."

"Moral force"

Boris Tadić told journalists that Serbia would continue pursuing the two remaining fugitives until they were arrested.

“I conveyed this to Prosecutor Brammertz. Serbia is serious in its intent and I believe that even Brammertz agrees there is no dilemma about it,” said Tadić.

He stressed that Serbia would spare no effort to complete its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

“We will continue doing all we can to have them arrested if they are in Serbia. We behave as if they were in Serbia,” Tadić underlined.

The Serbian president did not wish to speculate what the new Brammertz's report to the UN Security Council would look like and also did not want to link Serbia's further steps towards the European Union with the Brammertz's report.

“I think we should do all we can both with regard to the candidate status issue and the issue of arresting the fugitives. For sure, that is what Serbia is actually doing. I will not speculate on any possible dates. This year should be marked with work on both fronts. We have a chance to achieve success regarding both issues,” Tadić said.

He pointed out that the arrest of Mladić and Hadžić "would give Serbia an additional moral force and international credibility when it came to the investigation into the allegations contained in the report by Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty".

The report relates to alleged atrocities committed in Kosovo by the ethnic Albanian KLA.

According to Tadić, the fact that the organ trade investigation "is formatted in such a way so as to reduce the chances of its success is causing a major concern".

“It is fundamentally important that the investigation be an independent one. Serbia has no objections to the participation of EULEX in the investigation, but simple logic is that the mission cannot have a mandate in the territories of all countries that should be covered by the investigation,” said Tadić.

He stressed that Serbia would continue to insist on the UN appointing an independent investigator and would not give up on that.