VZCZCXRO7609
PP RUEHSL
DE RUEHTC #0692 3171649
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 131649Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3477
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBW/AMEMBASSY BELGRADE PRIORITY 0005
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L THE HAGUE 000692 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2019 
TAGS: PREL PHUM NL KAWC ICTY SR
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/SERBIA: "CONSTRUCTIVE" APPROACH 
 
REF: THE HAGUE 674 
 
Classified By: PolEcon Counselor Andrew C. Mann for reasons 1.5(b,d) 
 
(C) The Dutch are easing their opposition to closer EU ties 
to Serbia.  In a November 11 debate in the Dutch parliament, 
FM Verhagen cited positive developments in Serbian efforts to 
apprehend war criminals.  Ard van der Vorst, MFA Coordinator 
for Political Affairs for the Western Balkans, told Post on 
November 13 that the FM was responding to parliamentary 
questions about how he would react to new information. 
According to Van der Vorst, the FM said that if the Serbs do 
"all they can," the FM will rethink his position.  Asked if 
the Dutch would still wait for ICTY Prosecutor Brammertz to 
cite "full cooperation" by Serbia, Van der Vorst said 
Brammertz "will never say full cooperation."  However, the 
news from Belgrade and Brammertz' office has been 
"enthusiastic" about Serbian efforts.   Asked if the Dutch 
reaction was a change of position, Van der Vorst first said 
the Netherlands was "easing" its position, then retracted 
that phrase and said the Dutch were being "constructive." 
Van der Vorst repeated his request for the FBI report on 
Serbian efforts to find the fugitive Mladic (reftel). 
(COMMENT: Our understanding is that the Dutch would welcome 
news of positive efforts by Serbia in order to support a 
decision to agree to EU consensus on closer ties with Serbia. 
 END COMMENT.) 
LEVIN