The UK's special envoy to the Western Balkans has summoned a top Serbian diplomat to condemn the country's involvement in the funeral of Ratko Mladic.
Dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia", the 84-year-old died at the end of August in The Hague, Netherlands, where he was serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Dame Karen Pierce DCMG summoned the Serbian charge d'affaires to condemn the involvement of Serbian state and military officials in the funeral.
The funeral, which took place on Monday in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, saw thousands flock to the street.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described on Tuesday the images of Mladic's funeral as "shocking" and said the presence of some senior Serbian officials there "demonstrate a failure to confront a dark chapter in Europe's recent history" and could undermine Belgrade's plans to join the EU.
Mladic is still revered among many in Serbia and in Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic, despite his convictions linked to his role in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and in the siege of Sarajevo.
Explaining the decision, the UK's minster for Europe, Lord Wood of Anfield, said: "Glorification of a convicted war criminal directly undermines trust, fuels division and is incompatible with the process of reconciliation within Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region."
He added that: "The thoughts of the UK Government are with Mladic's victims and their families.
"They deserve respect, compassion and accountability, not efforts to rewrite proven history. Political leaders and public institutions have a responsibility to look to the future, not to the past, and to act in ways that support regional reconciliation, not to reopen old wounds."
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The lavish public funeral also led to Bosnia expelling two Serbian diplomats on Tuesday.
Bosnia's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic said two people at Serbia's embassy in Sarajevo - military attache Milan Dulanovic and intelligence adviser Danko Maksimovic - had 48 hours to leave the country.
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Thousands gather for funeral of 'Butcher of Bosnia' Ratko Mladic
