We can no longer tolerate this dysfunctional union

By Gordana Djurovic, Montenegro's minister for international economic relations and European integration. Response to Barbed Wire and Bridges (THE GUARDIAN, 19/05/06):

The article by Gyula Hegyi, an influential MEP, alarmed some people in my country, Montenegro (Barbed wire and bridges, April 26). Mr Hegyi suggested that, in our referendum this coming Sunday to decide whether we should end our state union with Serbia, if we vote for independence - as my government advises, and as a majority of our voters want - the EU should simply ignore the result. He wants us to join a regional federation as the price of opening accession talks to the EU. This is surely undemocratic and contrary to the values of the EU; and last week Vassilis Maragos, a representative of the European commission, said that if 55% vote for independence, the EU will continue negotiations with independent Montenegro.

Who could argue with regional cooperation? Certainly not Montenegro. We are a small, peaceable, multi-ethnic, multi-religious republic (not a province) of 700,000 people. During the conflicts of the 1990s, Montenegro sought to avoid war and took in refugees - at one point up to 20% of our total population - regardless of their ethnicity or creed. We have good reason to be proud of our recent history.

We are determined to continue to cooperate with all the states that make up what was once Yugoslavia, and with the rest of Europe too. We would be both foolish and untrue to our history to want anything else. We enjoy good relations with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania. What we want is to have the same relationship with Serbia that other countries in Europe enjoy with each other. Affirming this commitment, on April 6 in Bucharest, Montenegro signed a free trade agreement with other countries in the region, including Serbia.

However, regional cooperation is very different from the regional federation discussed by Mr Hegyi. Such a federation is inherently dysfunctional, just as Yugoslavia once was. It would also be a mistake to dismiss the new Balkan nations, as Mr Hegyi does, as a "chain of mini-states and enclaves [which] lacks economic viability but is rich in well-paid 'ministers' and 'parliamentarians'."

The size of one's country does not necessarily correspond to its "economic viability". Two of the smallest EU states - Cyprus and Luxembourg - are among the most prosperous. We already use the euro, while Serbia uses the dinar. Inflation is 1.8% in Montenegro, compared with Serbia's 18%.

Mr Hegyi can only be talking of Montenegro when he writes: "Do not think that one entity can join [the EU] earlier than the others, just because of its war record." That is not our position. We want to join the EU as soon as possible - but strictly on the basis of merit. The reality is that the EU has no federated states like Serbia and Montenegro.

Montenegro struggled, successfully, to uphold civilised values, while other parts of the former Yugoslavia were caught up in war. We want to work in close cooperation with Serbia, but we reject a dysfunctional union with that country. On May 21 we will be voting for the restoration of our country and for greater stability in our region. We will be voting not against Serbia, but for Montenegro and for a European future.