France hails Karadzic arrest, backs Serbia's EU integration

France's UN Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert on Tuesday praised Belgrade for arresting former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and spoke in favor of Serbia's integration in the European Union.

Ripert, whose country currently assumes the rotating EU presidency, told reporters that the arrest of Karadzic on genocide charges was "very positive for both the doctrine and generalization of the fight against impunity through international criminal tribunals."

"We admire the courage and determination of the Serbian government," he added. "We see it as a very positive sign by Serbia to move closer to the EU, to contribute to peace and security in the Balkans through this exemplary cooperation with the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia)."

"We are in favor of the integration of Serbia in the EU," Ripert added.

Karadzic, the wartime Bosnian Serb leader who had evaded capture for nearly 13 years, was arrested by Serbian security forces on Monday night.

Like former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic, he faces charges of genocide, complicity in genocide, extermination, murder, willful killing, persecutions, deportation and inhumane acts against Muslims, Croats and other non-Serb civilians during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

The extent of Serbia's cooperation with the ICTY, which has indicted them, is a precondition for closer ties between Belgrade and Brussels.

(Agencies)