Statement Ministry for Foreign Affairs 22 July 2008
Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Carl Bildt on the arrest of suspected war criminal Radovan Karadzic

Following the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, wanted for war crimes, Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt has made the following statement:

"Late this evening, the office of the Serbian President in Belgrade announced that Radovan Karadzic has been arrested. Needless to say, this is extremely welcome news. I myself experienced how frustrating it was that he could not be brought to trial immediately after the end of the war in Bosnia.

"Now a new Serbian government is showing that it is willing and able to act to live up to its international and European commitments.

"I hope that it will now be possible for the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague to commence the long-awaited trial relatively soon."