International NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Monday in the latest world annual report on human rights conditions that the EU has intensified its relations with Serbia, regardless of the fact that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) fugitives have not been arrested, adding that such a decision was partially a result of the change in Serbian government's stand on Kosovo.

The HRW said that that the Serbian parliament adopted the Declaration on Srebrenica in March and apologized to the victims and their families, but that the government's efforts to face with the war crimes have been overshadowed by the continued failure to arrest Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic.

However, the EU has taken steps aimed at promoting its relations with Serbia having unfrozen the trade agreement, introduced the visa liberalization and urged the European Commission to launch preparations for the assessment of Serbia's EU membership application, the report reads.

These steps were partly encouraged by the change in the Serbian government's stand on Kosovo, the HRW said.

The Brussels-based group once again stated that the harassment of independent journalism in Serbia remains a serious concern, as well as discrimination against Roma.