"Serbia will focus on combat against crime, corruption"

Serbian President Boris Tadic has stated for the British media that Serbia wants to speed up its bid to join the EU after the arrest of Ratko Mladic. He pointed out that the investigation into Mladic would be extended to anyone thought to have helped him avoid arrest for 16 years, particularly among the members of the Serbian armed forces and police. "Serbia will focus on combat against crime, corruption" In separate interviews for the British agency Reuters and the BBC, Tadic announced that Serbia would focus on arresting the last war crime fugitive, Goran Hadzic and launch an investigation which would look at any help given to Mladic by "people in the state system" over the years. The Serbian president told Reuters that Serbia would step up the fight against crime and corruption. "After Mladic's arrest I am convinced we will resolve the case of Goran Hadzic, but also be able to shift more of our assets from war crime and war criminals to organized crime," he said. "I am convinced we will deliver a deadly blow to organized crime and corruption by the end of the term of this administration. Our judiciary and security system are rapidly reforming and evolving," the president underscored. He declined to elaborate on the details of Mladic's arrest, noting, however, that "the probability of this was very high and it finally happened." "We want to get rid of ballast of the past, of the demons of the past," Tadic said. "Mladic's arrest "is the precondition for true and sincere reconciliation in the region," he added. He said that over the years, Mladic had been able to count on the support of "some people in the state system," and underlined the investigations would look at any help given to the general by members of the Serbian armed forces or police. "In the next few days, we'll have a completed picture of what happened in the past two-and-a-half years, even more, in the past 16 years," he said. "And, for us, that is going to be very, very important." The president added that while Mladic had initially enjoyed considerable support from some officials, this weakened after the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. Tadic told the BBC anyone who protected him would be prosecuted, and added that the former commander of the Republic of Srpska Army would be transferred to The Hague to be tried for war crimes, despite an extradition appeal by his lawyers, the president insisted. According to him, efforts to find the former army chief were stepped up when he himself took office in 2004, but were often frustrated by his extensive family. "He had many, many relatives, not only in Serbia but also in other regional countries - in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Macedonia and other countries," he said, underlining that it was making real difficulties in terms of investigating the case. Boris Tadic (Beta)

"Serbia will focus on combat against crime, corruption"

In separate interviews for the British agency Reuters and the BBC, Tadić announced that Serbia would focus on arresting the last war crime fugitive, Goran Hadžić and launch an investigation which would look at any help given to Mladić by "people in the state system" over the years.

The Serbian president told Reuters that Serbia would step up the fight against crime and corruption.

"After Mladić's arrest I am convinced we will resolve the case of Goran Hadžić, but also be able to shift more of our assets from war crime and war criminals to organized crime," he said.

"I am convinced we will deliver a deadly blow to organized crime and corruption by the end of the term of this administration. Our judiciary and security system are rapidly reforming and evolving," the president underscored.

He declined to elaborate on the details of Mladić's arrest, noting, however, that "the probability of this was very high and it finally happened."

"We want to get rid of ballast of the past, of the demons of the past," Tadić said. "Mladić's arrest "is the precondition for true and sincere reconciliation in the region," he added.

He said that over the years, Mladić had been able to count on the support of "some people in the state system," and underlined the investigations would look at any help given to the general by members of the Serbian armed forces or police.

"In the next few days, we'll have a completed picture of what happened in the past two-and-a-half years, even more, in the past 16 years," he said. "And, for us, that is going to be very, very important."

The president added that while Mladić had initially enjoyed considerable support from some officials, this weakened after the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in 2000.

Tadić told the BBC anyone who protected him would be prosecuted, and added that the former commander of the Republic of Srpska Army would be transferred to The Hague to be tried for war crimes, despite an extradition appeal by his lawyers, the president insisted.

According to him, efforts to find the former army chief were stepped up when he himself took office in 2004, but were often frustrated by his extensive family.

"He had many, many relatives, not only in Serbia but also in other regional countries - in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Macedonia and other countries," he said, underlining that it was making real difficulties in terms of investigating the case.