(14 Jul 1999) Serbo-Croat/Nat
Key talks on Montenegro's proposal to change the political structure of Yugoslavia's federal republic opened in the Yugoslav capital Belgrade on Wednesday.
Montenegro wants to transform centralized Serb-led Yugoslavia into a looser two-state confederation.
Montenegro's pro-Western leaders say they are frustrated with the autocratic policies of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic which have led to bloodshed in the Balkans and a steep economic decline in Yugoslavia.
Serb officials fear that growing frustration within Montenegro will be fueled by the string of recent anti-Milosevic protests being staged in Serbia itself.
The delegation of the ruling Montenegrin coalition met with representatives of the leading parliamentary parties in Serbia.
They hope to eventually meet with all Serbian parliamentary parties.
Zivko Soklovacki, representative of the neo-communist Yugoslav Left Party, told A-P-T-N that the talks with representatives of the Montenegrin three-party coalition were being conducted openly and democratically.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbian)
"These are the first, initial talks that were conducted in completely open atmosphere and with the expressed will of both sides to talk about all issues concerning the functioning and the future of our mutual state"
SUPER CAPTION: Zivko Soklovacki, Yugoslav Left Party
Current Yugoslavia is made up of dominant Serbia and the smaller Montenegro, which has increasingly been seeking more autonomy, with some officials within the government even promoting the idea of outright independence.
So far, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has blocked elected Montenegrin deputies from taking their seats in the current Federal Parliament, fearing they could join with opposition Serb parties in seeking his removal.
He kept in place only Montenegrin deputies loyal to him.
But the election of Montenegro's reformist president Milo Djukanovic two years ago was a serious blow to Milosevic.
He is seen by many as a pro-Western foe of Slobodan Milosevic and an open supporter of greater independence for Montenegro.
Belgrade fears Djukanovic would lead the country away from the Yugoslav Federation and so compromise Milosevic's hold on power.
Miodrag Vukovic, a top Djukanovic deputy, told the Associated Press last week that it was unrealistic to expect the Serbian side to agree in the talks to anything that may lead to Milosevic's ouster, particularly if Montenegrin deputies in a new federal parliament launched a motion for his resignation.
But there's still some way to go, since Montenegro's ruling three-party coalition has failed to agree on concrete points of their proposal.
Two coalition members support Montenegro's virtual independence in an informal confederation and one is leaning more toward the republic's autonomy within a loose Yugoslav union.
Meanwhile, Montenegro - whose Adriatic coastline provides Yugoslavia's only direct access to the sea - has been building a well-armed and organized police force of 15-thousand men of its own.
Tensions between the police and the 25-thousand Yugoslav Army soldiers loyal to Milosevic stationed in the republic have been growing, with frequent face offs that have threatened to escalate into fire fights.
The Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj refused to talk to the press as he left the building after the first round of talks with representatives of all Serbian Parliamentary parties.
But the head of the Montenegrin delegation, Zeljko Sturanovic, indirectly blamed Serbia for the current crisis within the federation.
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