Sofia - The arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karazic is "a relief for Europe," the head of Bulgaria's parliamentary foreign affairs committee said Tuesday.

The move would also accelerate the integration of Serbia, Bosnia- Herzegovina and Montenegro into European structures, Solomon Passi told the Bulgarian news agency BETA.

"Serbia and Bosnia have been resurrected for a new life in Europe, said Passi, a former foreign minister, adding that the arrest would "help overcome the legacy of the past" on the Balkans.

Karadzic has been indicted by the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on charges that include genocide and crimes against humanity during the brutal ethnic cleansing of non-Serbs during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. (dpa)