EU Commissioner Postpones Serbia Visit Over Ratko Mladić Funeral Glorification

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos postponed her planned visit to Serbia on Friday. Kos stated that the glorification of Mladić is incompatible with EU values and that the return of his remains reminds Europe of the darkest pages in their recent history.

Ratko Mladić, known as the "Butcher of Bosnia," died on August 27 at age 84 in a UN detention facility in The Hague, where he was serving a life sentence. Mladić's body was returned to Serbia on Thursday in a government plane, with Serbian soldiers carrying the coffin draped in Serbian and Bosnian Serb flags.

Justice Minister Nenad Vujić had announced a funeral with state honors, but President Aleksandar Vučić later said the decision would be left to the family. Belgrade media report Mladić will be buried in Belgrade on Monday, with a commemoration ceremony possibly on Saturday. The EU considers the handling of Mladić's funeral an important test for Serbia's EU membership bid.

Ireland’s Minister for European Affairs and Defence Thomas Byrne stated, "The state funeral would be unacceptable." A Serbian government official stated the commemorative gathering is organized by the Association of Retired Generals, not the Ministry of Defense or General Staff.