LUXEMBOURG, 19/10/06 - The Netherlands has rounded sharply on EU countries that want closer links with Serbia. This cannot be discussed until Serbia cooperates with the UN Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia and arrests war crimes suspect General Ratko Mladic, according to Foreign Minister Ben Bot.

The Dutch minister let slip after a meeting with EU fellow-ministers in Luxembourg that he was annoyed by countries neighbouring Serbia who consider talks with this country should be resumed. The EU earlier suspended negotiations on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia because the chief prosecutor at the Yugoslavia Tribunal, Carla del Ponte, had complained about Belgrade's lack of cooperation. "If we give up our position now, we will lose your credibility," according to Bot.

Del Ponte recently reported that Serbia's cooperation with the tribunal has deteriorated further lately. "To my surprise, a number of southern countries said that we should resume the talks because we cannot leave Serbia out in the cold," according to Bot. These are countries such as Austria, Slovenia, Hungary and Italy. "They want further integration as quickly as possible between the EU and their neighbour Serbia."

Bot received support for his protest from Belgium, the Scandinavian countries and also from France, Germany and the UK. "The Netherlands also wants to continue to support Serbia, but we must give the signal that they must cooperate with the Yugoslavia Tribunal," said Bot.