MONTENEGRIN PM WILL NOT STEP DOWN

PODGORICA, July 9 (Hina) - Faced with accusations of involvement in the smuggling of tobacco to Italy, Montenegro's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic has said he will not step down and that there will be no parliamentary election in the near future. #L# "I am not thinking about resigning, because these are groundless scandals, which cannot cause damage to Montenegro," Djukanovic said at a regular news briefing on Wednesday. Commenting on allegations from the Office of the Prosecutor in Naples about his involvement in the smuggling of cigarettes to Italy, Djukanovic said that was an old story, false as previous ones. "It was not smuggling, but transit conducted in line with the laws of Montenegro and the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," the current Montenegrin PM said. "Transit business is common in all countries that have a similar geographic position as Montenegro. All was legal as regards Montenegro and its legislation," he said. He added that the origin and owners of the goods were known, the goods were transported with valid papers from European ports to the Montenegrin seaport of Bar, from where they were shipped off with valid papers as well. "Montenegro was engaged only in freight forwarding and storing," he said, recalling that on several occasions he had sent letters to European officials and the U.S. Administration asking them to help open a regional office in Montenegro for the fight against organised crime. "Senior European Union official Javier Solana was notified that a part of goods from Montenegro was being sent to the Italian grey market. I offered our assistance to Italy to try to prevent such dealings. We never received any response to our offers," Djukanovic said. (hina) ms sb