Plenkovic criticises European Commission response to Mladic funeral

The Hague convict was buried today in a family tomb at Belgrade's Topcider Cemetery, with religious rites and military honours. Among thousands of people taking part in the procession and funeral cortege were several Serbian government ministers and officials from Bosnia's Serb entity of Republika Srpska.

Plenković said the ceremony reflected an attempt by the authorities to "be there without being there". A "whole range of actors who are part of the political establishment" attended the farewell, he said.

The European Commission responded mildly to the development, saying the ceremony in Belgrade had not been held with state honours. Spokeswoman Paula Pinho said the Commission had heard that a state funeral with military honours had been planned, but that this had not happened.

Pressed by reporters on what basis the Commission considered it was not a state funeral if state institutions, the army, ministers and the national flag were involved, she said it was up to Serbia to decide how to organise the funeral and that the Commission had clearly stated its position.

Plenkovic said it was "very bad" that the EU's executive body had responded only through its spokeswoman. He said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas should also have responded.

"That is their mistake, and I will make that clear to them," he said.