Brussels, 08/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The President of Montenegro and the Vice Prime Minister of Yugoslavia were on visit to Brussels on Monday to discuss the implementation of the constitutional agreement signed on 14 March to replace the Yugoslav Federation by the State of Serbia and Montenegro. The European Commission announced that it hoped to hold negotiations in 2003 for a stabilisation and association agreement between the EU and Yugoslavia, but did not specify at what moment. The Commission hopes to carry out the feasibility study this autumn prior to the presentation to the Council of a draft mandate for negotiation. The timetable "will depend on progress made" in Yugoslavia, a spokesman explained.
The President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, came to Brussels to seek the political support of the EU but he is not at all sure of having a majority in Parliament to ratify the agreement of 14 March, which is to be examined from Tuesday on (see EUROPE of 15 March). After their meeting, Javier Solana thanked him considerably before the press for all the effort that he has already made and continues to make for implementation of the agreement. Miroljub Labus was to meet the EU's Political and Security Committee (COPS) on Tuesday. He evoked the situation from the point of view of the Yugoslav Federation. The two representatives were received separately, but this "should not be seen as a sign of a problem" said Javier Solana. Circles around him give their assurance that it is a question of date, the visit by Yugoslav Miroljub Labus (also received by Romano Prodi and Commissioner Patten) being scheduled for a long while now, while Monday was the only available moment to receive Milo Djukanovic, also hosted by Chris Patten.