Brussels - European Union officials Tuesday welcomed the arrest of fugitive Serbian war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, a development which could pave the way for closer EU-Belgrade ties.

EU foreign policy commissioner Javier Solana, speaking on the periphery of an EU foreign ministers' meeting, said "today I want to congratulate the Serbian government. It is a good day for the Balkans."

He said he believed Belgrade was cooperating "fully" with the international war crimes tribunal.

"I think they have proven that they will cooperate fully with the international tribunal," Solana said. Full cooperation by Belgrade is a decisive precondition for the EU to ratify the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia.

"I think we have to talk to the international prosecutor and I am certain that he is going to say there is full cooperation," Solana said.

Solana said it was important for Karadzic, as well as still at- large war crimes suspect ex-general Ratko Mladic, to be put on trial.

"It is importnat that Mladic and Karadzic will be in front of an international tribunal, having a fair trial," he said. (dpa)