World leaders regretted that the death of Slobodan Milosevic today would mean the former Yugoslav president would escape justice for the misery he brought to so many people in the former Yugoslavia.
Former Balkans envoy David Owen said "It's sad that justice in a way has been cheated. He was the first head of state to be given a trial, he's been given a very fair trial, it's taken an extraordinarily long time."
"I think people everywhere, but particularly in the former Yugoslavia and in Bosnia were wanting this verdict. They now will feel cheated and it's a tragedy in a way that justice has not been able to give the verdict which we was important to hear."
"This does not change or alter in any way the need to come to terms with the past, with the legacy of which Slobodan Milosevic has been a part," said Ursula Plassnik, foreign minister of Austria, which holds the rotating EU chair.
"This will be one of the big challenges ahead for the region in order to reach what is the ultimate goal we are all working on, and this is lasting peace and reconciliation."
French foireign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy "With the death of Milosevic, one of the main actors if not the main actor in the Balkan wars of the late 20th century has left the scene."
"I would like to spare a thought for all those who suffered so much from ethnic cleansing, tens of thousands of men, women and children, which Milosevic conceived and planned."
Serbia-Montegro forteign minister Vuk Drakovic "Milosevic organised many assassinations of people of my party, of people of my family ... He ordered a few times asasination attempts against my life."
"What can I say? I can say it's a pity he didn't face justice in Belgrade."
Croatian President Stejpan Mesic "It's a pity that Milosevic did not live through the trial and get his deserved sentence."
Senior official Ivica Dacic of Milosevic's socialist party "It's a big loss for Serbia and for the Socialist party. He was being systematically killed in the Hague and finally he died."