Serbia-Montenegro Split Raised if Talks Fail

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia — Serbia and Montenegro, the two republics that make up Yugoslavia, might split for good if they fail to agree on redefining their mutual relations, a top Serbian official said Saturday.

Bogoljub Karic, a Serbian government minister without portfolio, said it was better for Montenegro to have full independence than autonomy with just 5% representation in the Yugoslav federation, according to Vijesti newspaper.

Karic also said that if the two republics failed to agree on how to live together, “there remains nothing else but for us to separate in a democratic and civilized manner,” according to the Belgrade-based private news agency Beta.

While Karic said Montenegro could maintain “quality relations” with dominant Serbia, where “each is the master in his own house,” he emphasized that the joint state must be based on existing constitutional rules.

“The strongest Montenegrin party must be in the federal government, and have the post of premier as well,” Karic told Vijesti.

Talks began last week in Belgrade between delegations from the two republics. Montenegro’s pro-Western government hopes the talks might lead to Yugoslavia becoming a looser federation. But Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is unlikely to agree to relenting power.