it looks the break-up of Yugoslavia is about to be completed, with the montenegro as the last republic to break from Serbia.
Serbia accepts Montenegro result
Serbian President Boris Tadic has recognised the results of Montenegro's vote for independence, in the first official response from Serbia.
"I accept the preliminary results reached by the referendum commission," Mr Tadic told a news conference.
Official results of Sunday's referendum in Montenegro put the pro-independence votes at 55.5% - just half a percentage point above the threshold for victory.
But a demand by pro-Serbian unionist parties for a recount was rejected.
"As you know, I was in favour of maintaining the common state... but as a democrat and president of a democratic country, I'm fully ready to accept the decision of the majority of the citizens of Montenegro," Mr Tadic said.
"Montenegro will always have in Serbia a reliable partner and friend," said Mr Tadic.
Later, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica - a nationalist and fierce opponent of Montenegrin secession - said Serbia was ready to acknowledge the results "once they become final".
"A referendum is an important event and the smallest doubt about its regularity has to be removed," Mr Kostunica told reporters in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.
A dispute over 19,000 votes in the capital Podgorica delayed announcement of the final results on Monday.
High turnout
The referendum commission head Frantisek Lipka said the completed preliminary results showed 230,711 people, 55.5%, had voted for Montenegro to become an independent state.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Things will get worse for Montenegro now, I believe
Dejan Knezevic, Niksic, Montenegro
He said 184,954 voters, 44.5%, had voted to remain with Serbia.
The results will be made final on Saturday after the expiry of a period in which they can be challenged. Turnout was 86.3%.
Several leaders of the pro-union bloc led by the Socialist People's Party signed a statement calling for a recount of the ballots.
But Mr Lipka dismissed their complaints, and the final result received the backing of European Parliament observers and the EU's Austrian presidency.
EU boost
The European Commission said Montenegro could begin talks with the EU on closer ties and eventual membership.
"The European perspective is open to Montenegro," enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn said.
Serbia has seen its EU ambitions hampered by the failure to arrest key war crimes suspects, but Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic was optimistic about his nation's prospects.
"I am convinced Montenegro could be the next country from this region to join the European Union, after Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia, which are further along the process," he told Reuters news agency.
The process of disentangling Montenegro and Serbia is likely to involve detailed negotiations between the two governments, the BBC's Nick Hawton in Montenegro says.
Independent again
The union of Serbia and Montenegro was all that remained of the federation of six republics that made up Yugoslavia before the independence wars of the 1990s.
The question of independence has proved divisive in Montenegro, with opponents arguing it will damage economic, family and political ties with Serbia.
Serb politicians, Orthodox church leaders and Montenegrins from the mountainous inland regions bordering Serbia broadly opposed secession.
However, ethnic Montenegrins and Albanians from the coastal area largely backed the prime minister and favoured independence.
The last time Montenegro was independent was nearly 90 years ago at the end of World War I, when it was absorbed into the newly formed Yugoslavia.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...pe/5009242.stm
As expected, this issue raised some interest in Spain. The different nationalities who are claiming for a referrendum that would give their territories greater autonomy and independence from the Spanish state have followed the Montenegrin case with attention.
What is next for Serbia? Will Kosovo get a chance to vote for a fully independent status?
No, the issue of Kosovo is far too sensitive for Serbians - the EU and others will not risk it. Although Kosovo is largely albanian and is more ethnicly "clean" than Montenegro, the Serbians would take the independence of Kosovo as a huge blow. Plus, the independence of Kosovo might prompt the same movement in Macedonia (about quarter of population is Albanian) and international community doesn't want to deal with another ex-yu republic falling apart and into posible civil war.
it's official: Montenegro parliament declared independance.
Montenegro declares independence
Montenegro has formally declared independence from its union with Serbia in a special session of parliament in the capital, Podgorica.
There were public celebrations, but a fireworks display on Saturday evening was spoilt by heavy rain.
The move officially recognises the result of a referendum two weeks ago, when a slim majority backed the move.
But correspondents say Montenegro is a divided society, with a significant minority backing the union with Serbia.
The last time the region was a country was at the end of World War I, before it was absorbed into the newly-formed Yugoslavia.
The red-and-gold Montenegrin flag, dating back to that period, was flown after the speaker Ranko Krivokapic declared: "Long live Montenegro!"
The anthem "Oh, The Bright May Dawn" was played in the parliament chamber.
Earlier this week, the Montenegro Referendum Commission formally confirmed the result of the referendum, in which 55.5% of the people voted to secede from Serbia, just above the necessary threshold of 55%.
Negotiations between Belgrade and Podgorica on how to disentangle the two states are expected to begin shortly.
They will include everything from property rights and university fees to military facilities and work permits.
Serbian President Boris Tadic sent a message of congratulation wishing the people of Montenegro "peace, stability and overall prosperity".
"Serbia will be the closest friend," he went on.
"I am in favour of preserving family, historic, cultural, economic and political ties, because they present an unbreakable bond between our two countries."
Next week Serbia is expected to declare its own independence, finally bringing to an end the break-up of the six republics of the former Yugoslavia into six fully-fledged states.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...pe/5043462.stm
That basketball team is getting worse and worse.
Just a few points to concider:
- The 55% limit was imposed by the EU and others because everybody was convinced that there's no way in they could achieve that (the most optimistic predictions had them at 53%). The idea was to use the failure of Montenegro to secure international support for its independence as an argument for convincing Kosovo into some sort of loose union with Serbia. That plan blew in everybody's face pretty fast.
- Whether the international community wants to tackle the Kosovo problem or not - they have to. With Montenegro's succesful referendum the Kosovo separatists are already growing louder. They will try by all means to force the international community's hand.
- The EU and others (US, Russia...) know this very well. There's currently a team of over 100 diplomats under the leadership of UN appointed chief negotiator Martti Ahtisaari working from Vienna. That is a significant step up of resources devoted to that problem, which is an obvious sign that they will try to come up with a solution before it explodes (again).
- The Albanians are not willing to accept anything less than independence.
- The Serbian concider "Kosovsko polje" (a plain in Kosovo) as the birth place of the Serbian nation.
- If Albanians were only a quarter of the Macedonian population, it would not even be an issue - the figure is a lot higher than the official numbers.
- Although Greece has been very quiet in the past couple of years, if the hits the fan in Macedonia - do not expect them to quietly abandon their teritorial claims (neither will Bulgaria for that matter).
In conclusion: The Balkans are still very much a powder cake and the final solution is nowhere near. I expect more blood shed and tears in that region.
I hope I'm wrong.
I simply pray for peace for all in this part of the world.
Yes they will. With or without the international community's blessing.
So is Peja and Divacs Serbian or Montenegran now?
Peja and Divac are Serbs.
most players in s&m team are serbs, i think there was only one montenegro on last euro.
Bosnia and Herzegovina still have to break up in order for it to be complete.
There were 6 republics in Yugoslavia:
Slovenia
Serbia
Croatia
Bosnia and Hercegovina
Macedonia
Montenegro
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