The countries in the Western Balkans region urged to cooperate in order to bring war criminals to justice

Government Information Unit
Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Press release 318/2004
12 October 2004





The European Union requires that the countries in the Western Balkans region engage in closer cooperation to bring war criminals to justice. The demand was phrased at the meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, 11 October, as the Ministers discussed the activities of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja, represented Finland at the meeting.

The Chief Prosecutor of the ICTY, Carla del Ponte, had also been invited to the GAERC meeting and she expressed her concern over the level of cooperation with the Tribunal. The EU countries gave their full support to Ms Carla del Ponte's work and recalled the pledge by the countries of the region made in December 2003 to full cooperation.

Cooperation with the Tribunal is an obligation under international law and also one of the preconditions for furthering EU integration in the countries of the Western Balkans region.

The Council reiterated its call on all States, in particular Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also Croatia to render all necessary assistance to bring fugitive indictees to the ICTY. The Council made a particular reference to the Commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, Ratko Mladic, Bosnian Serb Leader, Radovan Karadzic, and Croatian General, Ante Gotovina.

The intention is that the Tribunal, established by UN Security Council resolution in 1993, will continue until 2010. That requires, however, that certain trials will be brought to a conclusion by then.

Further information: Kare Halonen, Director General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5504 or +358 40 740 8968