Czech FM: Mladić shouldn't be condition

Czech FM Karel Schwarzenberg challenged the duty to cooperate with the Hague Tribunal set to Serbia as a condition for the start of the EU integration. Schwarzenberg noted that "only one Serb, General Ratko Mladic, is still wanted". Czech FM: Mladic shouldn't be condition "Just think how many murderers in my country and in your country went unpunished after World War Two. Therefore, we are not competent to say that Serbia must not be integrated over one sole murderer," he told the German political monthly Cicero at the start of Czech EU presidency. The possible breakout of a new conflict in the Balkans and energy dependence on Russia are threats that Europe must avert, he said. Support to the Balkan states on their path to the EU is one of the major priorities of the Czech EU presidency, according to this minister. "We are readily forgetting that many large continental conflicts at the beginning of the 19th century were born in the Balkans," Schwarzenberg said. He said unless Europe quickly integrates the Balkan states, someone else will soon settle down there just as it used to happened in history. "We would so place a bomb under our own bottom. We should not be surprised if it blew up," Schwazenberg said. He also explained his clear-cut relation to the current Russia, which he says is "again a revisionist power" that is on the path back to Tsar Nicholas I policies. Schwarzenberg said Moscow must be "returned to certain limits", and added that Russia does not pose a danger of a military, but of an energy-political character. "This may be the most important reason for the EU to pursue an effective energy policy," he said on a topic that is also among the Czech EU presidency priorities. He said he would, however, advise U.S. president-elect Barack Obama not to try and seek confrontation with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin "too quickly".

Czech FM: Mladić shouldn't be condition

"Just think how many murderers in my country and in your country went unpunished after World War Two. Therefore, we are not competent to say that Serbia must not be integrated over one sole murderer," he told the German political monthly Cicero at the start of Czech EU presidency.

The possible breakout of a new conflict in the Balkans and energy dependence on Russia are threats that Europe must avert, he said.

Support to the Balkan states on their path to the EU is one of the major priorities of the Czech EU presidency, according to this minister.

"We are readily forgetting that many large continental conflicts at the beginning of the 19th century were born in the Balkans," Schwarzenberg said.

He said unless Europe quickly integrates the Balkan states, someone else will soon settle down there just as it used to happened in history.

"We would so place a bomb under our own bottom. We should not be surprised if it blew up," Schwazenberg said.

He also explained his clear-cut relation to the current Russia, which he says is "again a revisionist power" that is on the path back to Tsar Nicholas I policies.

Schwarzenberg said Moscow must be "returned to certain limits", and added that Russia does not pose a danger of a military, but of an energy-political character.

"This may be the most important reason for the EU to pursue an effective energy policy," he said on a topic that is also among the Czech EU presidency priorities.

He said he would, however, advise U.S. president-elect Barack Obama not to try and seek confrontation with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin "too quickly".