Holland refuses to ratify SAA

Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen says he will not submit the SAA signed between the EU and Serbia to parliament for ratification. Addressing MPs, Verhagen said that he had taken this decision because Serbia was not cooperating fully with the Hague Tribunal. Holland refuses to ratify SAA Verhagen referred to Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s report which states that Serbia has not made any serious effort to find Hague fugitives Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic. Holland and Belgium earlier opposed the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between Serbia and the EU until Belgrade achieved full cooperation with the Tribunal by arresting all the remaining fugitives. However, just ahead of the May elections in Serbia, the two countries agreed to sign the agreement, conditioning its ratification “on full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.” Maxime Verhagen (B92, archive)

Holland refuses to ratify SAA

Verhagen referred to Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s report which states that Serbia has not made any serious effort to find Hague fugitives Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić.

Holland and Belgium earlier opposed the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between Serbia and the EU until Belgrade achieved full cooperation with the Tribunal by arresting all the remaining fugitives.

However, just ahead of the May elections in Serbia, the two countries agreed to sign the agreement, conditioning its ratification “on full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.”