Serbia-Montenegro's foreign minister said Sunday the country must urgently resolve the issue of its lack of cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal or risk «dramatic consequences,» AP reported. Vuk Draskovic told the main board of his party, the Serbian Renewal Movement, that «unless this obstacle with The Hague is removed» _ common shorthand for Belgrade's need to hand over top remaining suspects sought by the Netherlands-based court _ Belgrade would lose its chance of joining mainstream Europe. The West and the European Union have made closer ties with Belgrade conditional on the handover of top fugitives, former Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladic and political leader Radovan Karadzic, both of whom remain at large. They have been indicted for allegedly orchestrating the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims from Srebrenica and for other war crimes committed during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Belgrade faces international pressure to hunt down the two and has been told any U.S. and other international political and financial support for the country would depend on their arrest. U.N. tribunal officials insist the fugitives are hiding here although the Belgrade government claims it is unable to locate them. If Belgrade continues ignoring demands for Mladic and Karadzic's extradition, talks on a pre-membership deal with the European Union are under threat, Draskovic said. «The consequences for us are dramatic, talks between Brussels and Belgrade could be in danger,» Draskovic said.
