Montenegro wants association talks to begin within a month

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 01/06/06

Montenegro's prime minister has set an ambitious timetable for deepening ties with the EU as the country prepares to declare its independence.

Despite facing potentially difficult negotiations with Serbia over the terms of separation, Milo Djukanovic« said that he hoped talks on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), a key step towards EU membership, would begin within weeks.

"I expect that within a month or so we can get a new mandate for negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement," he said in Brussels this week.

Djukanovic has been a pivotal figure in Montenegro's drive to split from Serbia, which culminated in a referendum on 21 May. This saw more than 55% of voters backing independence. The country's parliament was expected to clear the election results later this week, paving the way for formal independence.

During the campaign, advocates of independence argued successfully that Serbia was delaying Montenegro's integration with the EU.

Facing high expectations Djukanovic now wants to prove that theory correct: "The Velvet divorce with Serbia cannot slow down the resumption of talks on an SAA," he told European Voice.

The Commission has to prepare a mandate to negotiate with Monte- negro the agreement which will pave the way for it to become a candidate for EU membership.

The Commission also needs to get the approval of the Council of Ministers for a revised mandate for negotiations with Serbia. Talks with Belgrade are currently stalled over the government's failure to capture suspected war criminal Ratko Mladic« and to deliver him to the war criminal tribunal in The Hague.

Djukanovic« said: "If my expectations are correct then it is very likely that we complete the negotiations and conclude an agreement by the end of 2006."

But during his meetings in Brussels, EU representatives insisted on the need for Montenegro to build the structures to implement an accord with the EU.

Although parts of a government's infrastructure already exist, such as a separate Montenegrin foreign ministry, EU officials this week said they were waiting to see how the division of resources between Serbia and Montenegro would affect the country's ability to implement agreements.

Under the constitution of the Serbia and Montenegro federation, Serbia held the rights to existing state union assets.

But Djukanovic« was bullish: "We are preparing very hard to develop administrative capacity and I think that we have the right conditions, we have a small and flexible society which will ensure implementation within a short period of time."

"I would not like to speculate on the number of years but I think Montenegro can be a pleasant surprise to everyone," he added.

But the EU was warning that despite its size, Montenegro would have much work to do. "There is no shortcut to Europe," said Olli Rehn, the enlargement commissioner, following his meeting with Djukanovic«.

Privately diplomats said the EU would have to tread carefully given public opposition to further enlargement and the risk of destabilising Montenegro's neighbours. One particular concern is Kosovo, which is expected to break away from Serbia by the end of this year.

Comments by Montenegro's Prime Minister, Milo Djukanovic, who said that after the positive referendum on his country's separation from the state union with Serbia, he was hoping that talks on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), a key step towards EU membership, would begin within weeks.

• Primary Source

European Commission: DG Enlargement: Countries of the Western Balkans: Serbia and Montenegro http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/potential-candidates/serbia/index_en.htm

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