Serbia After the Arrest of Ratko Mladic

May 31, 2011 by John Lyman

Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic (far left). Image via SIPA/REX

Serbia, which has long-sought membership in the European Union, is one step closer to that reality after the arrest of Ratko Mladic.  The search for Mr. Mladic, which had spanned more than a decade, had been one of the major stumbling blocks for Serbia’s membership in the E.U.  With the arrest of Mladic, Serbia is attempting to jump start negotiations that have been stalled for a number of years and establish a date when E.U. accession talks can begin in earnest.

Serbian President Boris Tadic said following Ratko Mladic’s arrest, “The arrest is good news for Serbia, for the stability of the region and gives new impetus to Serbia’s EU accession process…His arrest is convincing proof of Serbia’s efforts and cooperation with the [International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia].”

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