PREMIER: MONTENEGRO WILL RENEW STATEHOOD IN 2002

PODGORICA, Dec 29 (Hina) - Montenegrin Prime Minister Filip Vujanovic said on Friday Montenegro would renew its statehood and establish harmonious relations with Serbia and neighbours next year. Montenegro does not want to become estranged from Serbia but wants to build stable and good relations with it, which is possible only within a union of independent and internationally recognised states, he said. Montenegro and Serbia can reach agreement in the same way the Czech Republic and Slovakia did, Vujanovic said at a New Year's reception. If no agreement is reached, the decision on Montenegro's status will be made in a referendum, he said. Vujanovic stressed that Montenegro had won the trust of foreign partners, with companies from Slovenia, Slovakia, Russia, Belgium and Japan having already bought some Montenegrin companies and expressed readiness to continue their investments. Next year Montenegro will open business offices in Zagreb and Skoplje, which, along with the existing offices in Ljubljana and Sarajevo, will contribute to re-establishing economic cooperation on the territory of former Yugoslavia, he said. (hina) rml