Funeral of a convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić it caused reactions in the region and the European Union.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) declared two Embassy officials Of Serbia undesirable persons, while there is no announcement from Brussels of specific sanctions against Serbia.
President Aleksandar Vučić said that Serbia will not respond to "hysterical reactions".
Europe's reactions
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the pictures from Ratko Mladić's funeral in Belgrade were "shocking", and that the elements of official support and the presence of some high-ranking Serbian officials at the funeral were "deeply regrettable".
She wrote on the "X" social network that this shows a failure to face "a dark chapter in recent European history" and contradicts the values that underpin Serbia's path to the European Union.
The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, shared the same attitude as Von der Leyen.
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, commented on the statements of Košta and Von der Leyen, saying that he had nothing bad to say about them and that they were always on Serbia's side, and pointed out that it is not possible to determine whether people will come to the funeral.
Being a live guest on the CNN program, Marta Kos said that as a politician, but also as a person born and raised in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, she could not travel to Belgrade after the scenarios seen at the funeral.
"Can you imagine how I could ever look you in the eye." Mother's Silverice that lost numerous family members? They suffered the most, but they are still a symbol of reconciliation - they said not to forget, but to forgive and that we all have to work on it. This is something I expect from Serbia as well, especially as a candidate country for membership," said Kos.
Speaking about the conditions for the continuation of European integration, the commissioner underlined that the path to the European Union does not only mean the harmonization of laws, but also true reconciliation, respect for victims and acceptance of common values.
No clear answer on sanctions
The rapporteur of the European Parliament for Serbia, Tonino Picula, assessed that Serbia's European path implies facing the past and a clear attitude towards the judgments of international courts.
Commenting on the funeral of the former commander of the Army of the Republika Srpska, Ratko Mladić, he stated that the presence of representatives of state institutions and members of the Serbian Army represented a political message.
Picula: Glorification of Mladic's crimes contrary to EU values
According to him, Serbia cannot present membership in the European Union (EU) as a strategic goal, and at the same time tolerate or institutionally support the glorification of persons convicted of the most serious war crimes.
The European Commission did not specifically answer whether the attitude of the Serbian authorities towards the funeral could produce consequences for the European path of Serbia, such as slowing down negotiations or freezing EU funds.
The spokesperson of the Commission, Christian Wiegand, said that the glorification of war criminals, the denial of genocide and historical revisionism are not in line with European values, while the main spokesperson, Paola Pinho, said that the position of the Commission has already been clearly communicated to the Serbian authorities and that the possible next steps will be known if they occur.
At the same time, the commission indicated that its previous reaction had an effect, since Mladić was not buried with state honors in the end.
Expulsion from Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konaković, announced two employees of the Embassy of Serbia in Sarajevo undesirable persons and ordered them to leave BiH within 48 hours.
It is about the military attache Milan Dulanović and the advisor of the BIA representative at the embassy, Darko Maksimović. Konaković explained the decision by referring to the rulebook on declaring undesirable and unacceptable persons.
The reason for these moves was the way in which Ratko Mladić's funeral was celebrated in Serbia and he assessed that "all red lines were crossed".
No hysterical reactions.
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, was a guest on RTS yesterday and said that he does not want to enter the womb of hysterical attacks. He stated that he was surprised that Ratko Mladić's funeral was an occasion for some to show how much they hate Serbia.
Photo: Tanjug / Jadranka Ilić No hysteria.
"We will not respond with hysterical reactions in any way; we will make rational decisions. It will, of course, be a measure of reciprocity, but slowly, because we also have to take care of the Bosniaks in our country. We have more than 200.000 Bosniaks living in Serbia," the president pointed out.
He added that Bosniaks are equal citizens of Serbia and that they must not be threatened at any moment.
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