Brussels, 27/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Serbia-Montenegro has until the next round of negotiations on the conclusion of a stabilisation and association agreement (SAA) with the EU, scheduled for 4 and 5 April in Belgrade at political level, to demonstrate its full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). If it fails to do so, negotiations will be suspended. This was the message sent out to Belgrade on 27 April by the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the EU, to be relayed to the Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic in the evening, at the EU/Serbia troika. Although negotiations at technical level are making "very good" progress, to the point that "we will be able to conclude in the autumn", Belgrade's lack of cooperation with ICTY remains an obstacle, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told a press conference. It is for this reason that "Serbia still has a few weeks" to demonstrate its total cooperation with ICTY, which "should lead to all wanted suspects being handed over" to The Hague, including Ratko Mladic, explained Mr Rehn. In its conclusions on the Balkans, the Council "noted with concern the recent statements of Ms Carla del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor, of ICTY, that Serbia-Montenegro is not cooperating satisfactorily with the Court. The Council lends its unreserved support to the messages recently sent out by the Commission to Belgrade and Sarajevo, that cooperation with ICTY must be full and complete if negotiations on the stabilisation and association agreement are not to be suspended. Recalling its conclusions of 3 October 2005 and of 30 January 2006, the Council immediately calls on both Serbia-Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina to take firmer measures to ensure that all wanted suspects still on the run, particularly Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, are brought to justice as quickly as possible. The Council has requested the Presidency and the Commission to remain in close contact with the Chief Prosecutor and to continue to keep the Council fully informed".
In its conclusions, the Council also welcomes progress made by the government and opposition in Montenegro to lay down the details for the referendum planned in Montenegro. The Council calls on both parties to "quickly come to an agreement on all issues still outstanding (the majority required, the date of the referendum and the wording of the question), in order to confer the necessary legitimacy on the process".
The Council also paid tribute to the meeting in Vienna on 20 and 21 February between Belgrade and Pristina on the decentralisation process, which "shows that both sides are disposed to take part constructively in the process of determining the status of Kosovo".