EU to cut talks with Serbia if Mladic not caught

BRUSSELS, Apr 28 (Reuters) The European Union will cut off talks on an association agreement with Serbia-Montenegro if fugitive war crimes indictee Ratko Mladic is not arrested and sent to the UN tribunal for former Yugoslavia within days, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said today.

Speaking after talks with Belgrade's foreign minister, Vuk Draskovic, he told a news conference: ''I appreciate the actions taken by the Serbian government to tackle the support network of Ratko Mladic, however it is now high time to complete the work and locate, arrest and transfer Ratko Mladic to the Hague without delay.

''If this is not the case in the next few days, then we have no other option than to call off the next round of negotiations,'' he said, adding he would meet next Wednesday with UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte to discuss the case.

Reuters CH GC2008