FOREIGN MINISTER: MONTENEGRO WILL BE INDEPENDENT

SARAJEVO, Feb 20 (Hina) - Montenegrin Foreign Minister Branko Lukovac on Tuesday said the current political crisis in the Yugoslav federation (which consists of Serbia and Montenegro) could be solved only through the establishment of new ties between Belgrade and Podgorica which would respect the independence of Montenegro. "Montenegro insists that relations with Serbia be arranged as an alliance between sovereign states," Lukovac said in Sarajevo after his talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic. Lukovac added that Yugoslav charge d'affaires whom Belgrade sent to Sarajevo earlier this week had no authority to represent Montenegrin interests. "Belgrade's envoy in Sarajevo, just as anywhere in the world, has no mandate to represent Montenegro," the minister said adding that therefore his country had set up a particular mission in Sarajevo, at whose helm was Novak Kilibarda. Lukovac said the purpose of his tour to Sarajevo was the preparation of joint projects, primarily in the infrastructure which his country and Bosnia could carry out within the Stability Pact for South East Europe. However, the issue of the current crisis in the Belgrade-Podgorica ties was the main topic of the talks he held in the Bosnian capital. Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, who is the current chairman of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said in Sarajevo today that the international community expected the common sense would prevail in attempts to settle the burning issues in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We believe that there were enough divisions in the area, said Geoana, who visited Sarajevo as the OSCE chairman. He, however, added that the freely expressed will of citizens of Montenegro would be respected. Geoana said the OSCE would monitor a Montenegrin parliamentary election, set for 22 April. (hina) ms