U.S. RECOGNIZED NEWLY INDEPENDENT NATION OF MONTENEGRO

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.06.2006 18:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United States has recognized Montenegro as
an independent state, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said
June 13. Montenegrins voted May 21 to end their 88-year-old union
with Serbia, becoming the fifth republic to gain independence from
the former Yugoslavia. Montenegro declared independence on June 3
after international election monitors validated the results of its
peaceful May 21 referendum. Serbia on June 5 declared itself to be
a separate sovereign state and the successor to the State Union of
Serbia and Montenegro. The European Union and numerous other states
are also issuing formal statements of recognition for Montenegro. "The
United States has formally recognized the Republic of Montenegro as
a sovereign and independent state," Secretary of State Rice said in
a statement read aloud by State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
during the June 13 daily press briefing.

The decision to recognize Montenegro was made "following the request of
its government and consistent with the provisions of the constitutional
charter which established the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro,"
Rice said. "The charter between Serbia and Montenegro explicitly
provided means by which the people of Montenegro could express
their will with respect to independence. We congratulate the people
of Montenegro for the peaceful and democratic manner in which they
conducted their May 21 vote on independence The honor of being counted
among the free and independent states of the world brings with it
the challenge of protecting and advancing the freedom, rights and
prosperity of all the people of Montenegro and the responsibility
to make a positive contribution to the community of nations," Rice
said. "The United States will be considering in the coming days
Montenegro’s proposal to begin a process of establishing diplomatic
relations. We look forward to continued friendship and cooperation with
the people of Montenegro," Rice said, reported the U.S. International
Information Programs Bureau.

It should be also noted that June 12 Russian President Vladimir Putin
also recognized the independence of Montenegro.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress