15/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published on 14 June, following the declaration of independence by Montenegro, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe “took note with satisfaction of the request for accession of the Republic of Montenegro to the Council of Europe and transmitted it - in accordance with the usual procedure - to the Parliamentary Assembly for opinion”. The Committee also welcomed the “intention expressed by the authorities of the Republic of Montenegro to respect and implement the obligations and commitments contracted by the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro as a member state of the Council of Europe”. In a separate press release, the Committee of Ministers noted that the Republic of Serbia “will continue membership of the State Union in the Council of Europe and will assume the attendant obligations and commitments”. The Committee “will maintain with the Republic of Serbia the close cooperative relations which it had established with the State Union and wishes to assure the Serbian authorities of its readiness to continue working with them towards greater European unity on the basis of the Council of Europe's values and principles”.