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Assemblée parlementaire de l'OTAN
HomeMEDIA RESOURCES200528 October 2005 - Subcommittee on Future Security and Defence Capabilities Visits Serbia and Montenegro
28 October 2005 - Subcommittee on Future Security and Defence Capabilities Visits Serbia and Montenegro
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The Subcommittee on Future Security and Defence Capabilities visited Serbia and Montenegro on 24-26 October. Led by Subcommittee Chair Vahit Erdem (Turkey), the delegation met with their parliamentary counterparts and many government officials and in Belgrade and Podgorica. Most discussions revolved around the prospects of Serbia and Montenegro to join Partnership for Peace (PfP), the final status of Kosovo and the prospects for the future of the State Union between Serbia and Montenegro. |
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Serbia and Montenegro continue to make progress on defence reform. The military is being dramatically downsized and the ultimate goal is a small, profession force capable of operation with NATO militiaries. The main issue blocking the entrance of Serbia and Montenegro into the PfP programme, however, is the lack of full compliance with the ICTY war crimes tribunal. Although many indicted persons have surrendered this year, there are still seven outstanding cases including Radovan Karadic and Ratko Mladic. The visit of the subcommittee coincided with the release of the UN report on the final status of Kosovo and the decision to open negotiations on the province. Serbian officials and members of parliament were consistent in their position that Kosovo be allowed "more than autonomy but less than independence". The NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation was assured that although Serbia was willing to consider a range of options, independence for Kosovo was the only unacceptable option. This of course directly conflicts with the Albanian Kosovar position demanding nothing less than independence. Given those irreconcilable positions, the subcommittee is not optimistic that a mutually acceptable resolution to the situation can be found in the near future. The State Union of Serbia and Montenengro is a weak structure that appears to have far less popular support in Montenegro than in Serbia. The two republics already use different currencies, have different customs regimes, and patrol their mutual borders with different police forces. Montenegro plans to hold a referendum on independence in the Spring of 2006. The population is divided over the question of independence, although the current government is in favour. Serbian and Montenegrin officials were united in their belief that the two republics would remain close and that a dissolution of the State Union would take place amicably if that was the outcome of the referendum.
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