Bot, who is also the chairman of the Council of the EU, told the press the Union's member countries would continue to exert pressure on Croatia and Serbia.
Del Ponte told the press earlier today she hoped Croatia would arrest General Ante Gotovina before the end of next month because she was due to submit a report to the United Nations Security Council on November 23, which she said was a very important deadline for the Croatian government.
At today's meeting in Luxembourg, EU foreign ministers adopted conclusions warning former Yugoslav countries that lack of complete and timely cooperation with the Hague tribunal could seriously undermine their further progress to the EU. The conclusions, which are identical to the draft that was available before del Ponte's address to the ministers, read the Council of the EU will await del Ponte's report to the Security Council.
The Council of the EU reminds all countries in Southeast Europe of their pledge that they will fully and unequivocally cooperate with the Hague tribunal, notably in terms of extradition of the accused who are still at large and access to documents and witnesses.
The Council once again calls on all countries, notably Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as Croatia, to help the Hague tribunal in every way so that Bosnian Serbs Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, and Croat Ante Gotovina, can be turned over without delay.
The Council noted with deep concern the report del Ponte submitted today, in which she underlined the need to improve cooperation with the Hague tribunal, read the conclusions.