[ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH =?ISO-8859-1?Q?=AB?=ALBEUROPA=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=BB?=} Montenegrin Minister Wants Independence

[Nikoll A Mirakaj]

Montenegrin Minister Wants Independence 

PODGORICA, Oct 23, 2000 -- (Reuters) The foreign minister of Montenegro, joined with Serbia in the Yugoslav federation, was quoted on Sunday as calling for a new partnership between two independent states.

"I am certain that for both Montenegro and Serbia...it would be better if both states would have complete independence and start building suitable relations as sovereign, independent and internationally recognized states and UN members," Branko Lukovac said in an interview with the Montenegrin weekly Polis.

The minister, a long-time advocate of independence for Montenegro, called for a loose association without any special international and legal status.

"It would have as many joint functions as it suits both of them, aiming at coordinating rather than limiting the basic functions of the states that would form such an association."

The Montenegrin daily Vujesti said the republic's government would adopt a new platform this week for negotiations with Serbia based on two independent states with some shared functions in the fields of security, foreign affairs and economic and financial policy.

The comments and the report come as new Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica is seeking to form a new federal government.

Kostunica swept to power earlier this month after popular demonstrations forced authoritarian leader Slobodan Milosevic to concede defeat in September elections. He is due to visit Montenegro later on Sunday, after a trip to Bosnia, for talks with local politicians.

Creation of a new federal government is seen as a priority issue in order to handle millions of dollars of international aid that has been promised to Yugoslavia following the overthrow of Milosevic, an indicted war criminal.

Western governments have made it clear they do not see an independent Montenegro, with just 640,000 people, as viable, and want it to remain part of Yugoslavia.

Quite apart from the independence issue, the search for a new government is also complicated by the fact that Montenegro's ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) boycotted last month's federal elections called by Milosevic.

This means that the Montenegrin members of a new government would be drawn from the pro-Milosevic Socialist People's Party (SNP), which did take part in last month's polls.

The Montenegrin leadership became increasingly estranged from Serbia during Milosevic's rule, during which he imposed a trade embargo on the coastal republic and sent in special army units to control the local police.

A new transitional government in Serbia, the federation's dominant partner, is expected to be formed on Monday, to run the country until new elections in December.

(C)2000 Copyright Reuters Limited. 

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