The European Union sent a powerful signal to would-be members in the Balkans on Wednesday by postponing entry talks with Croatia to punish its failure to arrest a top war crimes suspect seen by many Croats as a hero. Foreign ministers set no new date for the talks, due to have begun on Thursday, saying they would begin "as soon as the (EU) Council has established that Croatia is cooperating fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia". "In the absence of a common agreement, the opening of accession negotiations is postponed," Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn announced at a news conference. It is the first time the bloc has called off talks with a candidate over an issue involving human rights and the rule of law, setting a precedent not only for Western Balkan states but also for EU aspirant Turkey, due to open negotiations on Oct. 3. U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte has told the EU in a series of letters that Zagreb has not done enough to hand over fugitive General Ante Gotovina and has failed to report recent approaches by his supporters seeking a trial in Croatia. --More 2336 Local Time 2036 GMT
