European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced today that she will not be making a planned visit to Serbia because, as she stated, the glorification that follows the death of Ratko Mladić cannot be linked to the values on which the path to the European Union is being built.
Kos stated in a post on Iks that Mladić was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and that "the return of his remains to Belgrade reminds Europe of the darkest pages of our recent history."
"The glorification that accompanies his death is incompatible with the values on which the path to the EU is built. That path requires facing the past, true reconciliation and respect for the victims of war crimes," the announcement states.
Kos added that "the values on which our common future rests are not subject to negotiation," Beta reported.
"In this context, I have decided not to carry out my planned visit to Serbia at this time," the announcement concludes.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called the explanation for Marta Kos' decision not to come to her planned visit to Serbia stupid.
"The explanation was extremely short, but stupid, as usual. The 'glorification' of General Ratko Mladić, it just doesn't say who glorified anything. And when they can't find anything concrete, then they deal with underpasses, overpasses, we should probably ban people from showing up, we should ban funerals, we should build dog cemeteries," he told reporters today.
The President said that he is not bothered by Kos not coming to Serbia, but, as he said, by her comments about Serbia and the Serbian people.
"I won't let you humiliate our country and don't lie," he said.
He also said that he would not accept, as he put it, "sermons" about who are criminals and who are not.
"I am fighting for history, for my Serbia, and Marta Kos will not lecture me about who are criminals and who are not. And about the fact that there are some monsters in Serbia, and there are none here," said Vučić, adding that in some other environments, certain nationalist slogans, such as "Ready for the Homeland," are treated differently.
Kos' decision came on the eve of Mladić's funeral, announced for Monday in Belgrade.
The coffin containing the remains of Mladic, who died last week in prison in The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, was flown to Belgrade on Thursday by a state plane, draped in the Serbian flag. Mladic will be buried on Monday at the Topčider cemetery in Belgrade.
Serbian Justice Minister Nenad Vujić initially announced that Mladić would be buried with the highest state and military honors, but authorities later did not confirm this.
Vučić said that the state will provide the family with logistical and transportation support and ensure public order and security during the funeral.
He said today that he has a meeting on Monday with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, whose visit was scheduled several months ago.
"I have an official visit from the President of Uzbekistan all day on Monday and Tuesday, scheduled four months ago," Vučić told reporters during a visit to Palić, when asked if he would attend Ratko Mladić's funeral.
A Serbian government official, speaking to Politiko on condition of anonymity, said that the state is not directly involved in organizing the funeral events. According to him, the commemoration is not being organized by the Ministry of Defense or the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, but by an association of retired generals.
Ratko Mladić's son, Darko, stated at a press conference today that he "calls on citizens to come in as many numbers as possible and to see him off with dignity and peace, so that it does not become a cause for conflict". He said that the coffin with his father's body will be at the Church of St. Luke in Košutnjak on Monday at 7:00 a.m., where citizens will be able to pay their respects, and he will be buried at the Topčider cemetery, where Mladić's daughter is also buried, Beta reports.
Darko Mladić said that the Serbian President, along with his family, expressed his condolences immediately after his father's death. He thanked Vučić for "being there for everyone when they needed help."
Ireland's Minister for Europe, Thomas Byrne, who will chair a meeting of EU candidate countries in Dublin today, said that while "there is not actually a state funeral, it is very possible that senior state officials will pay tribute to this man, and that is not acceptable."
"It is certainly time to bury the past and to continue the work of reconciliation in that region," Byrne added. "What is happening there, I think, continues to cause pain to people, particularly in the region itself, but also in some member states of the European Union."
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevost announced today that the announcements about Mladić's funeral with state and military honors are shameful and insulting to the victims of the genocide and crimes against humanity he committed, Beta reported.
Prevo stated on the X network that Mladić is a "convicted war criminal" and that he is guilty of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
"He embodies some of the worst atrocities of our European history, and in particular the genocide in Srebrenica. It is shameful and disrespectful to the victims and their families that such honors are being reserved for his funeral," he said.
Prevo "condemns this act in the strongest terms" and adds that he has conveyed this to "his Serbian colleague in charge of European affairs."
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