Montenegro close to recognising Kosovo

06/10/2008

PODGORICA, Montenegro -- Parliament on Friday (October 3rd) approved a draft resolution proposed by the ruling coalition aimed at speeding up the country's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Observers widely perceive the draft as a "green light" for recognition of Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence from Serbia. According to the draft, Podgorica commits to "respect the political reality considered important by the EU and NATO members from a regional stability point of view". The country also vows to conduct a policy consistent with the course of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

In other news, Joost Lagendijk, the European Parliament's rapporteur on Kosovo, said on Saturday he prefers "a simultaneous integration of both Serbia and Kosovo into the EU". But this should happen "only once their mutual relations had been resolved", Lagendijk said as a European Parliament delegation wrapped up a four-day visit to Kosovo.

On Sunday meanwhile, Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni said Serbia's initiative to seek the International Court of Justice's opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence may pass in the UN General Assembly but added "this action will not have a long-term effect on Kosovo." The UN General Assembly is due to vote on Serbia's initiative Wednesday. (Zeri, Koha Ditore - 06/10/08; RTK, Kohavision, TV 21, Tanjug, B92, BBC, VOA, Beta - 05/10/08; RTCG, ITAR-TASS - 04/10/08)