the chief of the European Parliament delegation for Southeast Europe, Doris Pack, on Monday applauded the holding of the Montenegrin referendum on independence.
Speaking to the press, Solana congratulated the Montenegrin people on the successful referendum. We are still waiting for the final results, but according to the official preliminary results, it appears that those who voted in favour have a majority of over 55 per cent, he said.
What we can say now is that the EU will fully honour the result of the referendum, he added.
Pack dismissed any questioning of the results.
The final result of 55.4 per cent in favour of Montenegro's independence, as confirmed today, surpassed without any doubt the threshold set by the European Union, she told the press, adding this clearly represented the political will of the Montenegrin people, whose turnout was 86 per cent.
Pack called on all the parties involved, including Serbia, to honour the result and to fully focus on EU accession criteria.
Now it is up to both Serbia and Montenegro to shape their future, which is without a doubt in Europe. Therefore, one should not waste energy on the artificial contrast between Belgrade and Podgorica. Instead, both countries must meet membership criteria, and it is up to Serbia to arrest all war criminals, including Ratko Mladic, said Pack.