Prague  - The Czech Republic welcomed the arrest of Serbian war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic as "a positive signal" by Serbia's new democratic government that brings Belgrade closer to the European Union, the Czech Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The move opened a path to "much more intense relations between Serbia and the European Union", which would gradually bring Belgrade to the EU, the ministry said in a statement.

Fair verdicts in the case of Karadzic and other war crimes suspects would contribute to stability in western Balkans, the ministry said. (dpa)