Western Balkan countries must fully cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), reads a section of a joint declaration of NATO foreign ministers dedicated to South-East Europe.
This includes the handover to the Hague tribunal of all persons indicted by this court, especially Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, as well as Ante Gotovina, in line with UN Security Council resolutions 1503 and 1534, reads an item of the declaration published after a meeting of the North-Atlantic Council, NATO's highest political body.
The ministers said that they were deeply concerned about the latest report of the ICTY chief prosecutor to the Security Council on the level of cooperation of the stated countries, reads the declaration of 26 foreign ministers.
The ministers reiterated their support for the integrity and sovereignty of all countries of the Western Balkans, which they said had to develop into a peaceful, stable and democratic area, fully integrated with Euro-Atlantic structures.
That is why Western Balkan countries must continue cooperating and promoting good neighbourly relations, find mutually acceptable solutions and reach agreement on outstanding issues, assume responsibility for reforms, build multiethnic democratic societies, fight organised crime and corruption and establish a permanent rule of law.
Croatia, Albania and Macedonia were commended for the implementation of annual national programmes within the Membership Action Plan and called to continue reforms necessary for progress on the road to full NATO membership.