We welcome the arrest of Serbian war criminal Goran Hadzic, today (20 July) in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina by the Serbian authorities who had been sought by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Following the capture of fugitive Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic on 26 May and his transfer to the ICTY, we consider the arrest of war criminal Hadzic by the Serbian authorities as a significant development regarding consolidation of peace, stability and reconciliation in the Balkans. We believe that bringing Hadzic to justice will contribute to regional reconciliation as a clear sign that no crime against humanity will remain unpunished and that this step will help alleviate the sufferings of a painful era in the Balkans.

We congratulate the Serbian authorities for this positive move and follow their recent constructive stance in the region with appreciation.

Turkey will continue to contribute to the prevalence of peaceful coexistence and reconciliation in the Balkans.