Montenegro proposes split from Serbia

Montenegro has officially proposed a final split from Serbia, suggesting that the two Balkan republics recognise each other as sovereign states.

Montenegro’s president Filip Vujanovic and prime minister Milo Djukanovic announced the proposal last night as the draft Agreement on Transformation of Serbia-Montenegro into a Commonwealth of Independent and Internationally Recognised States, and sent it to Serbia’s leadership for consideration.

If accepted by Belgrade, the deal would abolish what little has remained of the Serbia-Montenegro union, established in 2003 under European Union auspices as a successor state to the already truncated version of the former Yugoslavia.

Serbia’s prime minister Vojislav Kostunica has sought to retain the union with Montenegro, even though a strong pro-separation sentiment has developed in Serbia as well.

Once part of the six-republic Yugoslav federation, Serbia and Montenegro stayed together when four others seceded in the early 1990s. Relations between the two deteriorated over the years.

Under the EU-brokered deal in 2003, Serbia and Montenegro both have broad autonomy, sharing only a limited central administration in charge of foreign and defence affairs.

The latest proposal, however, reflects an enduring desire by Montenegro’s leadership for full sovereignty for the tiny republic.

“The current union is dysfunctional, its institutions are slow and inefficient,” said the document signed by Djukanovic and Vujanovic, adding that Montenegro offers “a new model of relations … which would resolve the current shortcomings and ensure lasting, stable and quality co-operation.”

The new model, they said, would need ratification by respective parliaments of Serbia and of Montenegro, followed by mutual recognition as separate, sovereign states.

After that, the two would forge a loose military alliance, jointly governed by a defence council with representatives from both states.

In an apparent concession to Belgrade, the Montenegrins suggested that Serbia inherit the current Serbia-Montenegro seats in international organisations, while Montenegro would seek membership as a new country.

“We are convinced that, with respect to the strategic values of independent and internationally recognised states … we have the possibility of reaching the agreement,” said Djukanovic and Vujanovic.

Under the EU-brokered deal, neither Serbia nor Montenegro was supposed to push for complete separation before 2006. Djukanovic recently warned that Montenegro would hold an independence referendum in February 2006 unless Serbia agreed to dissolve the current union.