The judgement in the case of Ratko Mladić before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) pronounced today touches upon some of the darkest, most tragic events of Bosnia and Herzegovina's, the Western Balkans’, Europe’s recent history, including the genocide in Srebrenica. Delivering justice and fighting impunity for the most horrific crimes is a fundamental human obligation. Our sympathies are with those who survived and those who lost their loved ones.

While we don’t comment individual judgements, we fully respect the decisions of the ICTY and support its work.

We strongly reiterate the need for full cooperation with ICTY as well as its successor Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals.

The European Union trusts that all the countries in the region are determined and committed to work towards reconciliation, regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations. We expect all political leaders in the region to honour the victims by promoting and respecting these commitments.