The EU's foreign ministers are expected to reach a political agreement on new steps in the process of approving Serbia's EU candidacy in Luxembourg on Oct. 25. They will also clearly state Belgrade's obligation to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

Only one member of the EU wants the European Commission to draft an opinion on Serbia's readiness to become a candidate member, while the EU's 27th member-state, the Netherlands, wants special emphasis to be placed on Serbia's obligation to cooperate with the ICTY and arrest the two remaining fugitives wanted by the court.

Reporters learned this from sources at the Belgian EU presidency, who explained that several EU members opposed insisting on the requirement of arresting war crime fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic as the next step in accepting Serbia's candidacy.

The condition of cooperating with the ICTY, officials in the EU Council of Ministers explained, has always been a condition in the accession processes of western Balkan states.

The EU ministers are, therefore, expected to reach a political agreement on requesting the opinion of the European Commission on Serbia's candidacy request and underlining the political issue of cooperation with the ICTY, albeit probably without stressing the requirement of arresting the ICTY's last two fugitives.