EU Commissioner Kos cancels trip to Serbia after planned tribute to Mladic

The European Commissioner for ​enlargement Marta Kos ​on Friday canceled ‌a trip ​to Serbia after a Serbian government plane took the body of ‌former army commander and convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic, who died last week, to Belgrade for what is expected to ‌be a huge funeral. "The glorification surrounding his death ‌is incompatible with the values on which the EU path is built. That path requires confronting the past, genuine reconciliation and respecting the ⁠victims ​of war ⁠crimes," Kos wrote on X.

"The values that underpin our common future ⁠are not negotiable. In this context, I have decided not ​to proceed with my planned visit to Serbia at ⁠this time," added Kos. Mladic, who was convicted of genocide, crimes ⁠against humanity ​and war crimes committed during Bosnia's 1992-95 war, died last week in a U.N. detention facility in ⁠The Hague aged 84.

Six Western Balkan countries want to join ⁠the EU – ⁠Albania, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo – but are at different stages of the ‌accession ‌process.