European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the images from the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić as “shocking”. The funeral was held in Belgrade on Monday.
In a joint statement, the two EU leaders recalled that Mladić had been convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and that he died while serving a life sentence for the Srebrenica genocide.
“The signs of official support and the presence of senior Serbian officials at the funeral are deeply concerning,” they said. They added that these “demonstrate a failure to confront a dark chapter of recent European history and run counter to the values underpinning Serbia’s path towards the EU”.
Costa and von der Leyen also expressed their support “for all victims of the crimes committed in the countries of the former Yugoslavia”.
The joint statement does not, however, refer to any specific consequences for Serbia. The country, which is an EU candidate, continues not to officially recognise the genocide in Srebrenica.
Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos had already cancelled a scheduled visit to Belgrade in protest. She had described the funeral as an “important test” for Serbia’s accession path and stressed that the values underpinning the common future are not negotiable.
Meanwhile, the European External Action Service issued a statement saying that glorification, denial of genocide and revisionism have no place either in the EU or in candidate countries.
Asked in Brussels whether the European Commission would take specific measures against Serbia, its chief spokesperson Paula Pinho said on Monday that the EU’s position was clear, without committing to whether a decision would follow.
Mladić’s funeral, held after he died last month while serving a life sentence, prompted strong reactions abroad. His body was transported to Belgrade on a state aircraft and wrapped in the Serbian flag.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had rejected warnings from Brussels, describing Kos’s statement as “stupid”.
Source: CNA