Long-standing disagreements between Podgorica and Belgrade have grown deeper after Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic, a Montenegrin, refused to head the joint delegation at the special session of the UN General Assembly without stating the reason, the media reported on Tuesday.
Marovic reportedly refused to go because the delegation travelling to New York also included Serbian President Boris Tadic, while Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic was not invited.
After Marovic refused to go, Serbian President Boris Tadic too cancelled his attendance, saying in a statement that Marovic's decision was harmful.
The rift has thus grown deeper. Belgrade has also criticised Marovic for failing to call a session of the Serbian-Montenegrin Council of Ministers (the government) for months and for replacing regular sessions with phone calls.
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic will speak in the UN about Kosovo, while Montenegrin Foreign Minister Miodrag Vlahovic, who leads the Montenegrin part of the delegation, will raise the issue of Montenegro's right to independence, which Montenegro has been working on intensively.