Brussels, 29/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn warned at the end of a meeting with Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic in Brussels that Montenegro, whose people had chosen independence from Serbia in a referendum on 21 May (EUROPE 9197), had a “European perspective” but that there was “no shortcut to the European Union”. Addressing journalists Mr Rehn declared, “Montenegro has a concrete European perspective like the other countries of the Western Balkans. However, there is no shortcut to Europe”. The Commissioner added that the future independent country would advance “step by step”, the first step consisting in concluding negotiations with the EU on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and reaching an agreement on its implementation, which “will require the reinforcement of the administrative capacity of Montenegro in both public administration, as well as in the justice system”. The Commissioner also called on the authorities to begin, without delay, and “with prudence”, negotiations with Belgrade on the exact terms of the dissolution of their Union.
Mr Djukanovic told journalists that the way in which the referendum was held had “contributed to another European victory”. There have only been 15 of them, the creation of the new states in the Balkans was only possible through war. “Today, we have done it through democratic procedure and in respecting European standards and values”, he explained. “In order to take full responsibility for our own European future”, Montenegro needed its independence. The government of Montenegro is perfectly aware of the fact that international attention is now directed towards it and will be assessing the extent to which the new small country is capable of assuming its responsibilities and adopting European norms. Mr Djukanovic affirmed that, “We know that we are both ready and capable of meeting such expectations”. He underlined that “we also realise that there will be no shortcut to the European Union”, which is the “final goal” of the future independent Montenegro. The Prime Minister, however, did not wish to speculate on a timetable for accession, given that this “will also depend on the European Union's future enlargement policy”. A “small and flexible” country like Montenegro, with a homogenous political class that is entirely focused on the European agenda of the country, can succeed in fulfilling all the accession demands “within a matter of years”. But, according to Mr Djukanovic, the first priority is concluding negotiations on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which Mr Djukanovic says could be done “by the end of this year.” (We are aware that the European Commission must first of all present new separate negotiation mandates for Podgorica and Belgrade, before the Council can give its green light to the resumption of negotiations with the two countries on an individual basis: Editor's note). The Prime Minister also assured Mr Rehn that negotiations with Serbia on practical terms of the dissolution of the union with Serbia will be carried out in a “prudent” way.
Olli Rehn, who is expected to go to Belgrade on Monday evening, also pointed out that Serbia still retained its European perspective even if SAA negotiations are temporarily suspended due to the lack of cooperation from the Serbian authorities with the International Criminal Tribunal on the Former Yugoslavia.