OSCE Chairman welcomes arrest of war crimes indictee Radovan Karadzic

BRUSSELS, 22 July 2008 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, welcomed today the arrest of Bosnian Serb wartime political leader Radovan Karadzic as an important step for justice and regional reconciliation.

"The arrest of Radovan Karadzic is a positive sign of the new Serbian government's ability to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia," said Minister Stubb.

The OSCE, through its field operations in South Eastern Europe, monitors domestic and ICTY-deferred war crimes proceedings and helps build the capacity of local judicial authorities. The Organization supports national systems for ensuring impartial accountability and enhancing judicial co-operation on war crimes proceedings in the region.