Montenegro calls for break from Serbia

Djukanovic, left, and Kostunica at the summit

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic has used the European Union-Balkan Summit to repeat his plan to hold a referendum on independence from Serbia.

The leader, who has been looking to edge away from the dominant partner Serbia since his election in 1997, said he would call a referendum if European leaders failed to recognise looser ties between the Yugoslav republic and its partner Serbia.

Djukanovic asked European leaders on Friday to consider recognising his Yugoslav republic as an independent state within a loose union with Serbia.

He added this should be done after talks with Belgrade, now led by new Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica.

But he said he would call a referendum on independence by the middle of next year regardless of whether an agreement was reached.

Kostunica, also attending the summit in the Croatian capital, said a unilateral breakaway move would be "disastrous."

Djukanovic, who heads the only republic not to have split with Serbia since socialist Yugoslavia collapsed in 1991, outlined what he called "our latest initiative to redefine relations between Montenegro and Serbia" at the summit.

Ever since he was elected in 1997, Djukanovic has been edging the tiny, coastal republic away from Belgrade, threatening a referendum on independence if its larger partner did not agree to a more equitable share of power.

But Western leaders held him back, fearing it might give former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic an excuse to stir a new Balkans conflict.

Milosevic was ousted last month by mass protests after losing an election to opposition party leader Kostunica.

Djukanovic said this had made new proposals possible, and Montenegrin officials agreed with Kostunica's allies last month at a Belgrade meeting to discuss future relations.

Most Western states still firmly oppose Montenegrin independence.

Strains between Kostunica and Djukanovic showed at the summit. Kostunica had been reluctant to let Djukanovic address the Zagreb forum and while the Montenegrin's name was added to the list of delegations the space for the country was blank.

In his speech to the closed session Kostunica said the Yugoslav Federation needed "careful and patient reconstruction" but underlined that its parliament should be consulted about any move.

Djukanovic boycotted the Yugoslav parliamentary elections last month held alongside those for the presidency so Montenegro is represented in the legislature by pro-Belgrade forces.

Djukanovic told the summit he was ready for "patient dialogue and commitment to negotiating."

But he said after the session that a referendum would be held in the first half of next year even if Belgrade objected.

"Our proposal takes as a basis international recognition of Montenegro and Serbia, with Montenegro's readiness to agree on some kind of union of states, i.e. on some joint functions that we agree are of mutual interest," he told the session.

He added Montenegro already had almost all the attributes of an independent state, and that it would be difficult for Belgrade to restore control over monetary policy, internal security, customs, foreign trade and foreign policy.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Montenegrin Government
Yugoslav Government

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