CROATIA: E.U. FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHIEF, JAVIER SOLANA, PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR MONTENEGRO'S DEMOCRACY DRIVE

Record ID: 649102

  • Title: CROATIA: E.U. FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHIEF, JAVIER SOLANA, PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR MONTENEGRO'S DEMOCRACY DRIVE
  • Date: 1st September 2000
  • Summary: DUBROVNIK, CROATIA (AUGUST 31, 2000) 1. MV /SCU EUROPEAN UNION HEAD OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS JAVIER SOLANA AT EXCELSIOR HOTEL, STANDING ON BALCONY TALKING TO EU MONITORS AND CROATIAN REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE MEETING (3 SHOTS) 0.14 2. SCU JAVIER SOLANA AND MILO DJUKANOVIC ENTERING MEETING; SLV MEETING IN PROGRESS (2 SHOTS) 0.22 3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SOLANA SAYING:"I hope very much that the democratic forces will win the elections (in Yugoslavia) and that they will have the possibility to govern the country. That is my wish, and that they may join the people who are democratic in Europe. 0.45 4. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SOLANA SAYING: "I would like the President to answer the second part of the question about what will happen in his country, I would not like to interfere or predict anything but he knows he can always count on his friends."/ PATS DJUKANOVIC ON HAND 1.12 5. SLV MEDIA 1.15 6. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SOLANA SAYING: "I talked with the President about his position and I would like to stress that we respect it." 1.26 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) DJUKANOVIC SAYING: "Well, we can not have a worse candidate than Milosevic. We do not idealise Mr Kostunica, we do not agree with many of his positions, including some about the nature of the union, but as I said, he is still a better choice than Mr. Milosevic. At least he shows a little bit of a position of a legalist." 2.01 8. SLV CONFERENCE ROOM 2.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
  • Country: Croatia
  • Reuters ID: LVA8L4Y0A8UHD55XLWM98PJGGLN1
  • Story Text: The European Union's foreign affairs chief, Javier
    Solana, has pledged further support to Montenegro's democracy
    drive and voiced hope for similar reforms in its sister
    republic of Serbia.

    Speaking to reporters after talks with Milo
    Djukanovic, the reformist president of Montenegro, Solana said
    he understood and respected Montenegro's decision to boycott
    elections for federal Yugoslavia's parliament and president on
    September 24.

    "Let me stress the EU supports Montenegro
    wholeheartedly... We have provided a tremendous amount of
    help, political, economic and other (to Montenegro) and we
    will continue to do so," the former NATO secretary general
    said, putting this year's aid at 65 million euros ($57.93
    million).

    Solana, who met Djukanovic in the Croatian seaside town of
    Dubrovnik, not far from the Montenegro border, said he hoped
    the vote would bring about democratic change in Yugoslavia's
    dominant republic, Serbia.

    That would make the EU rethink its strategy of isolation
    and sanctions imposed on Belgrade for its role in the bloody
    ethnic wars in former Yugoslavia in 1991-95, he said.

    "I very much hope that democratic forces will win
    elections and that they will have the possibility to govern
    the country, " Solana said.

    The Western-leaning Montenegrin authorities have said they
    will boycott the forthcoming elections, saying they will serve
    only to prolong the rule of Yugoslav President Slobodan
    Milosevic, indicted for war crimes by the U.N.'s Hague
    tribunal.

    They have, however, pledged not to interfere with voting
    inside Montenegro. Pro-Milosevic opposition parties in
    Montenegro intend to run in the elections.

    Asked what the EU would do if Milosevic managed to retain
    power and provoke a conflict, Solana smiled, patted Djukanovic
    on the shoulder and said he "can always count on his friends".

    He added that the EU was not a military organisation and
    declined to comment on speculation that NATO might intervene
    the way it did last year, when it carried out air strikes to
    halt Milosevic's anti-Albanian purge in Kosovo, a province of
    Serbia.


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