Regional cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of war crimes must be urgently improved, said the UN's Chief Prosecutor for war crimes Serge Brammertz on Wednesday, during a meeting with Bosnia's Chief Prosecutor Gordana Tadic, in Sarajevo, in preparation for his upcoming report to the UN Security Council, said the statement from the Prosecution.

During the meeting in Bosnia's capital – Sarajevo, Chief Prosecutor Tadic said he would like to continue and strengthen cooperation with and assistance from the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), the statement noted.

For that matter, UN's Chief Prosecutor Brammertz confirmed his Office's willingness to provide requested support which would enable the Bosnian Prosecutor's Office to achieve more justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

According to Bosnia's Prosecution, the two agreed that there is a major challenge with fugitives indicted by the Bosnian Court enjoying safe haven in neighbouring countries and Tadic confirmed that her office will intensify its efforts to transfer indictments to countries where the accused can be prosecuted.

The Prosecution further said the two had recognized that Bosnian Prosecutor's Office recently achieved more positive results particularly in issuing complex indictments involving serious crimes.

Chief Prosecutor Brammertz underlined his serious concern with the alarming rise in denial of crimes and glorification of war criminals in the country and throughout the region, which he will again report to the UN Security Council, the statement said, adding that the Chief Prosecutors agreed that all victims deserve respect and should be protected from insults and denial of their suffering.

The IRMCT is an international court established in December 2010 by the United Nations Security Council to perform the remaining functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) following the completion of those tribunals’ respective mandates.