PATTEN SAYS EU WILL HELP YUGOSLAVIA TO BUILD FUTURE

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Hina) - European Union External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten said in Belgrade on Thursday the international community would help Yugoslavia in building its future. After talks with Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, Patten said that after a donors' conference, organised together with the World Bank this summer, the EU was entering a new stage of relations with Yugoslavia in which it would help the country to build its future. The Commissioner said the EU planned numerous projects regarding economy, small entrepreneurship, technical assistance in drafting laws, and politics. According to him, the EU has earmarked EUR230 million this year for these projects. The EU is also providing assistance in overcoming problems which are the result of a poor budgetary policy in the past. The organisation has earmarked EUR300 million for the country's macroeconomic policy, which will help Yugoslavia seek more significant loans from the European Investment Bank, Patten announced. The EU official hailed a decision by Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic on participating in a dialogue on relations between Serbia and Montenegro in the Yugoslav federation. He reiterated the EU would like to see "a democratic Montenegro in a democratic Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." (hina) it