(21 Jun 1999) Natural Sound
Montenegran president, Milo Djukanovic, is scheduled to meet with U-S president Bill Clinton on Monday.
Montenegro, the smaller of the two remaining Yugoslav republics, has largely kept out of the Yugoslav conflict with NATO largely due to Djukanovic's opposition to Yugoslavia's president Slobodan Milosevic's policies.
Sandy Berger, the U-S president's national security adviser, said Clinton's meeting with the Montenegrin leader is a demonstration of U-S appreciation toward Montenegro's non-interference attitude.
Clinton will lead a U-S delegation in Slovenia for a two day visit to congratulate the country for breaking with Milosevic's government and establishing stability in a region disturbed by ethnic tension.
Milo Djukanovic is seen by many as a pro-Western foe of Slobodan Milosevic.
In 1997 he ousted Momir Bulatovic, the 41-year-old incumbent and longtime supporter of Milosevic to take over as the new president of Montenegro.
But Milosevic and his allies refused to recognise Djukanovic's victory, but a second election challenge by Bulatovic in 1998 failed to unseat the popular reformist leader.
It was a serious blow to Milosevic.
With a population of around 630-thousand people - a fraction of Serbia's almost 10 (m) million population - Montenegro was the only republic to remain in Yugoslavia with Serbia, following the bloody breakup of the old federation in 1991.
Because both Serbia and Montenegro are represented in the Yugoslav parliament, a parliamentary majority in Montenegro would give Djukanovic the power to dismiss Milosevic from his seat.
Before the elections, Djukanovic, had already been an open supporter of greater independence for the small republic, which together with Serbia forms what remains of Yugoslavia.
Now in power, many are looking to him to lead the country away from the Yugoslav Federation.
A graduate in economics, Djukanovic was appointed Premiere of Montenegro on his 29th birthday in 1991 - the youngest in Europe.
Since then he's pursued the development of democratic and market oriented government policies, pushing Montenegro to become equal partners with Serbia within the Federation of Yugoslavia.
But his insistence on opposing Milosevic's policies have meant considerable tensions between the two republics.
During the Kosovo conflict, Djukanovic's pro-Western government refused to join the Serb forces and to support Milosevic's policy regarding the province.
At one point, Milosevic replaced the entire army command in Montenegro with loyalists, prompting rumours of a possible move to overthrow and oust Montenegro's government.
But Djukanovic rejected demands by the Yugoslav army to put the republic's police force, still loyal to Djukanovic, under Belgrade control.
Resistance wasn't only to come from Serbia.
After nearly two years as president, some within Montenegro are criticising Djukanovic for failing to give Montenegro the independence he promised.
In May 1999, supporters of the Liberal Alliance, the oppositional Montenegro parliamentary party, argued that Djukanovic won the presidential elections last year on the pledges of independence and or autonomy.
Meanwhile, the West have been impressed by Djukanovic's actions throughout the war and his meeting with U-S president Bill Clinton on Monday is seen as confirmation of that.
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