The Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rangel, considered today "extremely concerning" the glorification of genocidal Ratko Mladic by Serbian authorities. Ratko Mladic was the Bosnian-Serb military commander responsible for the Srebrenica massacre in 1995, considered one of the worst war crimes in Europe since World War II.
Rangel also commented on the intention of the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, to run in the early legislative elections scheduled for October. According to the Portuguese minister, this candidacy "is not a positive sign" for the political stability of Serbia.
Rangel's statements come in the context of growing tensions in the Balkans region, where the glorification of figures associated with genocide raises concerns about the path Serbia is taking in terms of reconciliation with its past.
The Portuguese official thus expressed his concern both with Serbian domestic policy and with the way the authorities of that country view the war crimes committed during the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.
