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The Montenegrin Government sent a document to the UN Security Council containing information on relations with Serbia, as well as a Resolution for protection of rights and interests of Montenegro and its citizens, which was adopted by the Montenegrin Parliament on July 9, after the amendments to the FRY Constitution. The document has been dispatched to all UN members via the Slovenian mission at the UN.

The document emphasizes that federal organs are used against the will of Montenegrin legitimate authorities and Montenegro itself, "with the intent to economically drain the republic, destabilise it politically and remove the democratically elected government from power, not even stopping at attempts to instigate internal conflicts and civil war in the process". We must remind that negotiations regarding the Kosovo crisis that failed and were followed by NATO bombings, had been conducted without representatives from the Montenegrin Government. The Supreme Defence Council made decisions without consulting Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, and these decisions resulted in human casualties, material damage and degraded the economy, development and international relations of Montenegro.

The document also stresses that representatives of the legitimate Montenegrin government have been removed from all federal institutions and claims that the activities of these institutions are used against the interests of Montenegro. This is the case with many federal organs: internal and foreign affairs, defence, finance, foreign trade, customs, the central bank...

Despite completely opposed policies in Serbia and Montenegro and an imbalanced relationship between them, Montenegro has displayed a constructive approach with a desire to preserve friendly relations and some kind of community. The document warns, however, that the Serbian authorities have ignored all initiatives and proposals by Montenegro, since their current "position of dominance suits them better".

"The Serbian leadership obviously does not intend to abandon its current policy in internal and foreign affairs, which has, after four wars, immense suffering and damage to the economy and total international isolation, lead the nation to ruin", says the document directed by the Montenegrin Government to the UN Security Council.

Svetozar Marovic, Vice President of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) from Montenegro, announced talks with the most powerful political parties in this republic - The National Socialist Party (SNP) and the Liberal Alliance LS), about preservation of peace and improvement of democracy.

"DPS does not want to stall and express its support for democracy only through rhetoric. We want discussion with the opposition to start as early as next week, meaning that we intend to talk to our colleagues from SNP and LS", said Marovic in a statement reported by media in Podgorica. He said the discussions will be bilateral, to determine what can be done top preserve peace and improve democracy in Montenegro so that the citizens can feel more secure about their lives and prospects.

Predrag Bulatovic, President of the National Socialist Party, repeated several times that Montenegro was in a stale-mate, which unavoidably imposes the need for dialogue between this party and the Montenegrin government. He said that two diverging policies have emerged from this stale-mate lead by he two most powerful political parties in Montenegro - the Democratic Party of Socialists and the National Socialist Party.

The representatives of the Montenegrin ruling parties, namely, the Democratic Socialist Party (DPS) and the Montenegrin People's Party (NS), and the representatives of the Serbian opposition parties resolutely rejected the amendments to the Constitution of FR Yugoslavia and agreed that new constitutional solutions should be formulated on the basis of the Montenegrin government's platform for a redefinition of relations between the two republics. Discussions in Sveti Stefan, a coastal resort in Montenegro, however, did not produce a common position on the forthcoming federal elections.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Filip Vujanovic read the joint statement of the participants in the talks between the Montenegrin ruling parties and the Serbian opposition:

1. Democratically restructured state of Montenegro and Serbia is in the interest of both the citizens of Montenegro and Serbia.

2. The state consisting of Montenegro and Serbia can satisfy the interests of its citizens only if it is democratic in its character and entirely integrated in the European mainstream with institutions adjusted to the European standards.

3. The state of Serbia and Montenegro may function in a successful and democratic manner only if specific interests of both Montenegro and Serbia are fully respected, including firm institutional guarantees for a degree of independence which Montenegro and Serbia deem necessary.

4. In order to create such a democratic state between Serbia and Montenegro new constitutional solutions are necessary based on the Montenegrin government's platform for a redefinition of relations between the two republics.

5. Democratic forces of Montenegro and Serbia condemn and resolutely reject the amendments made to the Federal Constitution in July this year in an illegal and anti-constitutional manner. Bearing this in mind, we understand and respect the Montenegrin position as stated in the resolution passed by the Montenegrin Parliament.

6. Democratic changes in Serbia and consistent implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 on Kosovo are prerequisites for preserving Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia as its integral part.

7. Democratic forces of both Montenegro and Serbia shall work together on establishing a stable, prosperous and European state of Montenegro and Serbia. This will be the best response to the efforts of destructive political groups to obstruct the progress and keep our country in isolation from the outer world so that they could hold on to their own privileges.

Journalists of Podgorica daily Vijesti have taken advantage of the Serbian opposition leaders' visit to Sveti Stefan, a luxury coastal resort, for a meeting with the Montenegrin ruling parties to ask them the following question: "Would you support the Montenegrin move towards independence?"

Democratic Party leader Zoran Djindjic: "I am in favour of a sovereign Serbia and a sovereign Montenegro, i.e., their joint community of sovereign states. This is in the best interest of both states. Serbia and Montenegro are fatefully interconnected regardless of the form their state might assume. A single political generation cannot possibly change that fact, and our mutual ties are very important to us. The interest of Serbia is that both states be sovereign entities and no one in Montenegro should consider this a concession on our part. There is no majority in Serbia favouring unitarism. Instead there is a tendency towards clearly defining the interests of both states. Yugoslavia as a Milosevic's creation negates Serbia as well as Montenegro. He is the only one enjoying independence in his actions, and unlike the latter, i.e., independence, the former should not even exist."

President of the Movement for Democratic Serbia Momcilo Perisic: "I know for sure that both the people and the Montenegrin government do not wish to leave Yugoslavia, but I am also aware that they do not wish to live under Milosevic's dictatorship. I hope that we will reach a rational solution in the days to come which would be the most optimal for the citizens of Montenegro and Serbia".

President of Social Democracy Vuk Obradovic: "No one should destroy what has been being built for centuries because of Slobodan Milosevic regardless of evil he has done to all of us."

President of the Democratic Party of Serbia Vojislav Kostunica: "I agree with the option of an independent Montenegro if the people are in favour of such a solution. The same option might be chosen by the people in Serbia, whose position seem to be evolving in that direction. It is difficult to define relations within a federation, and particularly so when one federal unit is so large while the other one is so small. I am in favour of absolutely respecting the will of the people in a referendum. The will of the people was not respected in 1992 because a quasi-referendum was held in Montenegro, and in Serbia even this did not happen. We will discuss the preconditions so that the people could express choose its preferred option. We will also discuss how to arrange mutual relations within such a state if the people opts for it."

President of the Social Democrat Union Zarko Korac: "Montenegro has a legitimate right to choose whether to live on its own or in a state with Serbia. If Montenegro had its own state in the 19th century, then it is entitled to establish another one when it wills. As a person on the Serbian democratic scene who is a friend of Montenegro I can only pledge my support for whatever decision the Montenegrin people may make."

President of the Christian Democrat Party of Serbia Vladan Batic: "The will of the citizens must be respected because they represent the basis of the country's sovereignty. If this state is to totter again and again then I see no reason for Montenegro to follow the path which Serbia is treading. Why should Montenegro be held hostage by such a Serbia?"

President of the Civil Alliance of Serbia Goran Svilanovic: "Any decision reached in a democratic atmosphere is acceptable. There is room for the joint state of Serbia and Montenegro if both Serbia and Montenegro make efforts to make it happen. Under these circumstances none of us has the right to tell anyone in Montenegro what to do. I am open for any sort of resolution to this situation."

Co-president of New Serbia Milan St. Protic: "The will of the Montenegrin citizens is the supreme law as far as I am concerned, but I fear that while Milosevic is in power in Belgrade, any attempt at fulfilling the interests of Montenegro may trigger off conflicts of large proportions both in Montenegro and Serbia. If the majority of the Montenegrin people wants an independent state, we have nothing to add to it. In my view this would not be a problem for our future relations, but it would be much better if we remained within a single state."

At the yesterday's session federal government discussed the EU's stepping up of financial sanctions against Yugoslavia and the announcement of the so-called "white list" of the Serbian companies allowed to do business with EU partners, Federal Information Ministry stated yesterday.

"Yugoslav entrepreneurs have not submitted any applications or requests for the 'white list' as EU wanted which is yet another proof of the failure of its policy towards our country", the government stated and stressed the need for tighter control over business dealings of all the Yugoslav companies, which were obliged to comply with the Yugoslav laws. The federal organs have already taken necessary measures, the government claimed, to compensate the negative consequences of this illegal decision made by the European Union.

A series of violent explosions shook the Serb controlled part of Kosovska Mitrovica last night near the bridge in the centre of the town, but fortunately there were no reported casualties.

Around 11.30 p.m. three grenades, apparently fired from a hand-held launcher, exploded some 50 metres from the bridge on the Ibar river in the area designated by the UN regional administration as "confidence zone". KFOR commander of the northern sector, Jacques-Louis Soublet, said that grenades were "most probably fired from the area surrounding the sports centre in the southern part of the town".

General Soublet met around midnight in the vicinity of the Mitrovica bridge with local Serb leader Oliver Ivanovic. Soublet promised to the Serb representatives a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the last night's incident.

UNMIK spokesman in Kosovska Mitrovica, Michael Keats, said that there were five explosions last night in the Serb controlled part of the town going on to say that UNMIK had no information as to whether there were any casualties.

Meanwhile, there were two more detonations in the northern part of the city. Keats confirmed to Beta news agency that first three explosions took place in the immediate vicinity of the café Dolce Vita, the gathering place of the Serb youths guarding the bridge. He added that the last explosion, "probably the most violent", took place near the apartment block where some twenty Albanian families had been repatriated with the help of KFOR and UNMIK. Keats also told the media that at times automatic weapons fire could be heard in the northern part of the town, but that the situation was relatively calm.

Around 500 Serbs gathered near the bridge dividing Kosovska Mitrovica in protest, but they soon dispersed. KFOR stepped up security in the area around the Mitrovica bridge.

In the session of the UN Security Council two days ago, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Sergey Lavrov, strongly criticised KFOR and UN civilian mission in Kosovo for their failure to do more in preventing militant Albanians from intimidating the Kosovo Serbs. He estimated that increased level of violence ruled out the possibility of holding free local elections in Kosovo.

"Russia has made its position clear on this matter. Russia cannot pledge its support for the local elections in Kosovo this year", said Lavrov. "We are not against holding such elections in principle, but we cannot either turn a blind eye to the fact that to date not even a minimum set of necessary preconditions has been met for these elections to be free, fair and democratic", the Russian ambassador stated.

In order to hold free elections, amongst other things, security must be stepped up and a safe repatriation of the refugees must also take place before such elections, Lavrov said and added that the UN representatives in Kosovo should not be authorised to make such decisions, but the UN Security Council. The Russian ambassador warned that there were persons with criminal records on the new Kosovo police force accusing the UN for failing to react.

A US police unit of 120 men trained for terrorist acts has arrived in Kosovo in early July, state-run Tanjug news agency reported. It will launch attacks on the police in southern Serbia and Serb enclaves in Kosovo. The US unit was trained in the military camp Fort Bragg in North Carolina "to liquidate in the most brutal manner", according to state-run daily Politika carrying the news originally broadcast by Tanjug news agency. The police are fluent in both Serbian and Albanian, daily Politika reported.

"Just like all the dogs of war, they are armed to the teeth... they have gained their experience in Chechnya, and are now based in the US military camp Bondstill, near Urosevac", Tanjug claimed. The US policemen allegedly entered the country from Albania at the border crossing Bozaj. "Their objective is clear: they are supposed to prolong the agony, accelerate exodus and provoke reaction of the Serbian security forces by attacking the members of the Serbian Interior Ministry in the area of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja and terrorist actions in the Serb ghettoes in Kosovo", Tanjug alleged in its report carried by Politika.

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