EU warns Serbia Ratko Mladić’s funeral is 'important test' for future membership

Senior EU officials have issued a warning to the Serbian government over the funeral of war criminal Ratko Mladic, with the bloc's enlargement chief saying that it will be a very important test in Belgrade's bid to join the European Union and its future path. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said that the handling of Mladic's funeral will be considered in relation to Belgrade's alignment with the EU's foreign and security policy, a key requisite for joining the bloc. Ireland, which currently holds the six-month EU presidency, is moving in the same direction. A state funeral would be unacceptable as I understand that there's not actually a state funeral taking place but there may well be senior figures in government memorializing that man so that's not acceptable. Mladic died on in a UN detention facility in The Hague where he was serving a lifetime sentence for crimes against humanity related to the Srebrenica massacre and the siege of Sarajevo. His body was returned to Serbia in a government plane on Thursday with his coffin carried by soldiers and wrapped in a Serbian flag shown in images broadcasted on television.