MONTENEGRO FORMS TEAMS FOR TALKS ON FUTURE OF YU FEDERATION

PODGORICA, Dec 20 (Hina) - Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic told reporters on Thursday Montenegro had formed expert teams for negotiations on the redefinition of relations within the Yugoslav federation. Speaking at a regular news conference, Djukanovic said that at a recent meeting in Belgrade, representatives of Serbia and the European Union had been handed a memorandum with a set of concrete proposals regarding the monetary policy, the common internal market, the protection of citizens' individual and social rights, cooperation in health care and education, and a proposal on a special agreement enabling Serbia to use the port of Bar for commercial purposes. Under the memorandum, in the period between March and May 2002 Montenegro will organise a referendum in which its citizens would be able to vote on restoring Montenegro's independence or choose a solution on a union of two independent states, if such a solution was agreed on in the meantime. "Montenegro advocates relations with Serbia based on equality and regulations which the European Union operates in line with. This practically means independence and international subjectivity for both Montenegro and Serbia and healthier relations which will be for the benefit of the citizens of both states," Djukanovic claims. (hina) sb rml