NATO on Mladic's funeral: We will not allow security vacuum to emerge again

The UN criminal tribunal's verdict against Ratko Mladic helped uphold the rule of law and bring those responsible for war crimes to justice. General Mladic was responsible for horrific crimes against civilians, including the killing of thousands of Bosnian men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995, the official told Hina when asked to comment on the funeral of the convicted war criminal in Belgrade.

Mladic was buried in a family grave at Belgrade's Topčider Cemetery today with religious rites and military honours, with thousands of people taking part in the procession, including several Serbian government ministers and Republika Srpska officials

The NATO official, who spoke anonymously, did not comment directly on Mladic's funeral, but stressed that NATO had helped bring one of the darkest chapters in European history to an end and had contributed to building lasting security in the Western Balkans for more than 20 years.

The Western Balkans is a region of strategic importance to our Alliance, our commitment to regional stability is steadfast, and we will not allow a security vacuum to emerge again, the official said.