MP of the Dutch parliament Mariko Peters told Tanjug on Thursday that the arrest of Ratko Mladic, fugitive before the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), is a historic day for Serbia, and added that the arrest removed the main obstacle on the country's path to EU integration.

This is a historic moment we have been eagerly waiting for a long time, Peters said and added that the main obstacle on Serbia's EU path has been removed.

She expressed belief that the Dutch parliament would back the continuation of Serbia's EU integration now that Mladic has been arrested, noting that Dutch MPs had doubts regarding Serbia's progress until Mladic is delivered to the ICTY. As an MP of the GreenLeft party which has been advocating a very firm stand on the issue of Serbia's cooperation with the ICTY for years now, Peters assessed that Mladic's arrest would contribute to progress in the reconciliation in the region.

She also noted that Mladic's arrest does not mean that Serbia has met all the conditions for obtaining the EU candidate status, but she expressed belief that the Dutch parliament would back its government in case it decides to vote in favour of Serbia being granted candidate status.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told the Dutch television that Mladic's arrest constitutes an important condition for Serbia's EU integration, but he also reiterated that this does not imply automatic EU accession for Serbia, Reuters reported.

When it comes to a country's EU accession, all factors need to be taken into account, Rutte said and added that Maldic's arrest is an important element but does not entail automatic accession.