EU ministers reach out to Serbia

The EU hopes Serbia's government will not shelter Gen Mladic

EU foreign ministers have offered to resume talks on closer ties with Serbia if its new government takes steps to catch war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic.

The talks were suspended last May, when the EU decided Serbia had not done enough to deliver six remaining war crimes suspects to the Hague tribunal.

The BBC's Oana Lungescu says the EU is seeking ways to stop Serbia and Russia blocking delicate talks on Kosovo.

A UN plan for the future of Kosovo was announced on 2 February.

Our correspondent says Slovakia, Greece, Romania and Spain are worried that the plan, drawn up by Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari, will encourage separatist movements elsewhere in Europe.

The foreign ministers called for a Serbian government "committed to reform and a European future" to be formed quickly, following elections last month.

Diplomats said this indicated they hoped the new government would keep key posts in the interior ministry and security services out of the hands of hardliners suspected of sheltering Gen Mladic.

The ministers said talks on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) could resume if Serbia showed "clear commitment and takes concrete and effective action for full co-operation" with the UN war crimes tribunal.

"If Serbia takes the right step... then we in the EU can reach out and resume SAA negotiations," said EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

"There is no change of policy, only a change of circumstances in Serbia."