[JURIST] Serbia [JURIST news archive] has promised to deliver fugitive Bosnian war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic [ICTY case backgrounder; BBC profile] to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [official website] by the end of April, according to a court spokesman. A spokesman for ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte [official profile] said that Serbia had provided "clear assurances" that Mladic would be delivered to the tribunal before the end of the month and said that a similar message had been given to EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn [official website]. The EU has demanded Serbia's cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in exchange for closer ties to the EU and possible membership. Last week, Rehn extended the EU's deadline [JURIST report] for Serbia to handover Mladic until April 30.

Mladic is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity for his role in the Bosnian conflict, including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre [JURIST news archive]. EUObserver.com has more.