The Hague tribunal accuses General Ratko Mladic, once Srpska Republic army commander, of 1992-95 war crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and demands him extradited. He is hiding in Serbia, Carla del Ponte, tribunal top prosecutor, has said on many occasions-a point Serb authorities deny. They have not the slightest idea of the suspect's whereabouts, they allege.
The Mladic issue is not the only to drive in a wedge between Serbia and the Hague tribunal for Bosnia-Herzegovina, acknowledged the minister. Its settlement, however, may prove decisive for the Serbia-Montenegro union to join Partnership for Peace, expects Mr. Davinic. He is not a starry-eyed idealist in the matter, and evaluates his country's chances as fifty-fifty.
The Serbia-Montenegro union aspires to join the programme and eventually NATO "not as a makeweight but a country that possesses a national army able to guarantee its nation's security", stressed the Defence Minister.
