Serbian cardinal pleads against country’s exclusion after Ratko Mladic’s burial with honors

Cardinal Ladislav Nemet of Belgrade is urging Western governments not to allow the controversy surrounding the funeral of Ratko Mladic to damage Serbia's integration with Europe. The cardinal expressed surprise at international calls to delay Serbia's Western ties following the Sept. 7 Orthodox funeral in Belgrade.

Mladic, a former Bosnian Serb leader, died Aug. 27 in a United Nations prison hospital in The Hague. He had received a life sentence from the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity. Approximately 12,500 people attended the funeral, which was attended by state officials.

Cardinal Nemet said the incident involved a small group of people rather than the country as a whole. He noted that everyone has a right to a decent funeral and suggested that the international media used the event to portray Serbia negatively.