MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT AND PREMIER WON'T ATTEND BELGRADE TALKS

BELGRADE, Sept 19 (Hina) - Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic and Premier Filip Vujanovic will not take part in negotiations scheduled to take place in Belgrade on Wednesday regarding the redefinition of Serbia-Montenegro relations and the future of the Yugoslav federation, several sources in Podgorica were quoted by the Belgrade-based agency Beta as saying this morning. Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica convened the meeting for 03.00 pm Wednesday and invited Yugoslav Premier Dragisa Pesic, the premiers of Serbia and Montenegro, Zoran Djindjic and Filip Vujanovic respectively, and Montenegrin President Djukanovic. Djukanovic answered positively to Kostunica's invitation but also asked for additional explanations of "the procedure" so that he could decide on his travel to Belgrade. Djukanovic reminded Kostunica that he had not invited Serbia's President Milan Milutinovic, who, in Djukanovic's mind, should also attend the talks to ensure equal representation. Podgorica is even more irritated by the fact that Kostunica has invited the incumbent Yugoslav Premier Pesic, although Montenegrin authorities regard his cabinet as illegitimate, given that it was the product of forceful changes of some constitutional provisions pertaining to the election of the federal government. Djukanovic has forwarded a letter to Kostunica welcoming readiness for a dialogue on the future of the joint federation but he also assessed that the initiative was not in line with the dialogue now being led between Montenegrin, Serbian and Yugoslav officials. (hina) rml