BRUSSELS, Sept 8 (Reuters) – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that the images of the large turnout for the funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic were “shocking”, and added they could undermine Serbia’s plans for accession to the EU.
“The images from Ratko Mladić’s funeral yesterday in Belgrade were shocking,” von der Leyen wrote on X, in comments that were also echoed by European Council president Antonio Costa.
“The elements of official support and the presence of some senior Serbian officials at the funeral are deeply regrettable. They demonstrate a failure to confront a dark chapter in Europe’s recent history and contradict the values underpinning Serbia’s path towards the European Union,” von der Leyen added.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Alison Williams)
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