Kos: Disturbing images from Mladic's funeral do not represent Serbian society as a whole

The images from the funeral of Hague Tribunal convict Ratko Mladić for genocide and war crimes are deeply disturbing, but they do not represent Serbian society as a whole, European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said today in the European Parliament.

"The images we saw do not represent Serbian society as a whole. Numerous citizens of Serbia and from the region have written to me, rejecting the glorification of war crimes. That is why I know that Serbia is much more. Serbia is its people, its young generation, entrepreneurs, artists, journalists. Citizens who want their country to progress, who want to face the past and live in a free, democratic and European country," Kos said.

According to her, this is exactly the kind of Serbia that deserves to be heard and supported and has its place in Europe.

She stressed that the EU stands with all victims of crime and their families, and that the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans are of strategic interest to the European Union.

"Serbia has a central role and responsibility in this regard," Kos said in the debate "Ratko Mladić's funeral and the glorification of war crimes in Serbia" as part of the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

According to her, by submitting an application for EU membership, Serbia has committed to respecting European standards, principles and values.

"The European Commission is clear: glorification of war criminals, denial of genocide and revisionism are fundamentally incompatible with these values. This has no place in the European Union, nor in candidate countries," Kos said.

She particularly criticized the presence of representatives of the Serbian authorities at Mladić's funeral.

“It was particularly disturbing to see Serbian ministers, state officials and military representatives, together with leaders and politicians from Republika Srpska, attending the funeral and publicly paying tribute to a war criminal,” the Commissioner said.

Kos assessed that the images from the funeral show a failure in dealing with the past and called on the Serbian authorities, as well as all other actors in the region, to contribute to reconciliation and good neighborly relations.

"Stop using the past as a barrier to the future and start with true reconciliation, so that all countries in the region can build a prosperous future together in the EU, free from hatred and conflict," Kos said.