Mladic's extradition is the ultimate condition for the continuation of negotiations on Serbia and Montenegro's Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU and the state union's joining NATO's Partnership for Peace programme, Draskovic said in Belgrade after talks with the OSCE president, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, who are on an official visit to Serbia and Montenegro, told the authorities in Belgrade on Thursday that unless the country cooperated with the UN war crimes tribunal in the Hague, the report, which they are expected to submit to EU ministers at the end of February, would be negative.
We are interested in deeds and not just words and we expect that from the country and its leaders, Rehn told a local TV station on Thursday evening.
"We must understand how important the cooperation with the Hague tribunal is to us and how much it can affect the results of the referendum in Montenegro, as well as the reputation of our country, which is very important given the coming negotiations on Kosovo's status," Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus said Friday, commenting on talks with the European leaders.