Kostunica: Serbia Not Negotiating Surrender With Mladic

Vojislav Kostunica (file photo) 16 June 2005 -- Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said today that Belgrade is not in contact with fugitive Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic.
Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, Kostunica also said that the government is not negotiating Mladic's surrender.

"Our government is aware of our obligations when it comes to the case of Ratko Mladic and is working on locating him, but anyway, at this moment, I can for sure tell you that the Serbian authorities are not in touch with him and we are not negotiating with him," Kostunica said.

Kostunica also blamed the media for generating "half truths and manipulations" that have hampered Serbian efforts to locate Mladic and bring him to justice.

The international community is pressuring Belgrade to capture Mladic, who has been indicted for war crimes for his alleged involvement in the Srebrenica massacre during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

(Reuters)