Speaking before the Dutch parliament on Oct. 6, Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz reiterated that "conditioning and pressure" remain key for the arrest of fugitive war crimes indictees, especially Ratko Mladic.

In his speech before the parliament's European Affairs Committee in The Hague, Brammertz said that Mladic and the other fugitive, Goran Hadzic, are "within reach" of the Serbian authorities.

Brammertz once again said that Serbia has the political will to arrest Mladic, but there are still obstacles at the operative level and the fugitives "have support networks."

To a deputy's question on whether cooperation was sufficient for Serbia's further association with the EU, Brammertz said that he was not "making political decisions, but stating conclusions on the basis of which the government's may make decisions."

The arrest of the fugitives remains "the highest priority" of the Hague prosecution, Brammertz stressed.