Montenegro now able to enter Eurovision
1. N. Clark: Sunday's narrow vote will make is that Montenegro will
be able enter Eurovision
2. From R. Rozoff: Serbia's navy left high and dry by the vote for
independence / Helsinki Final Act, Inviolability Of Borders:
Montenegro Europe's 15th New State
=== 1 ===
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1781039,00.html
Tuesday May 23, 2006
The Guardian
Sunday's narrow vote will make is that Montenegro will be able enter
Eurovision.
Never mind the Balkans
Montenegro had more independence as part of Yugoslavia than it will
as an EU-Nato protectorate
Neil Clark
'Montenegro votes for independence", the headlines declared at the
result of the referendum in the Balkan republic. But is independence
really what lies in store? My dictionary has independence as:
"completely self-governing; not subject to or showing the influence
of others". By this definition, independence is not what they will be
getting.
The most important political and economic decisions, which will
affect the everyday lives of citizens in the republic, will not be
made in its capital, Podgorica, but in Brussels, Geneva and
Washington and the boardrooms of the multinational companies which
now dominate the country's economy.
It is ironic that EU and WTO membership has been most
enthusiastically supported by the prime minister, Milo Djukanovic,
and the pro-independence faction - for it's hard to think of an
easier way for a small country to lose national independence than by
surrendering control of trade and economic policy to unelected
bureaucrats miles away.
Nato membership, which Montenegro is also expected to pursue
enthusiastically, has similar consequences: the commanders of
Montenegro's new army and navy will have to get used to taking orders
from those who planned the 78-day bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.
Then there is the role of the IMF and the World Bank. These two
unelected bodies have, with the EU, sought to impose Thatcherite neo-
liberal solutions on Serbia-Montenegro, ever since the fall of
Yugoslavia's Socialist-led government in 2000. Thousands of socially
owned enterprises have already been privatised, but the west is still
not satisfied - the IMF has made further economic help dependent on
Belgrade selling off the valuable NIS oil company.
Montenegro's tiny economy is even more dominated by foreign capital
than Serbia's, with the privatisation process having started much
earlier. The selling off of nationally owned assets will have serious
implications for the country's future economic viability and even
with the tourist potential of its attractive coastline, it is
difficult to see how Montenegro can afford to pay its way, without
further surrender to western financial institutions. In doing so, it
will be following the path of its neighbours.
For all the novelties of statehood, the brutal truth is that today's
"independent" Balkan republics had, if anything, more independence
when they were autonomous republics inside the Yugoslav Federation.
In place of one militarily strong, internationally respected, non-
aligned nation, there now exists a number of weak, economically
unviable EU/IMF/Nato protectorates.
The dismantling of Yugoslavia, with its alternative economic and
social model, has suited western capitalism fine. But for the people
of the region, the benefits have been harder to discern. Little
wonder then that nostalgia for Tito's Yugoslavia is on the rise. The
website "Titoville" has received over 1m visitors and in Rakovice, a
suburb of Sarajevo, an anti-nationalist Serb named Jezdimir Milosevic
(no relation) has proclaimed "The Republic of Titoslavia", a state
"without territory, without international recognition, destined to
live in the hearts of its citizens". Passports are available for €10.
Over 65 years ago, on the eve of the attack on Yugoslavia by the Axis
powers, the Serbian jurist Slobodan Jovanovic argued that a single,
south Slav state was the best way the people of the Balkans could
guarantee their independence and protection. It still is - and that
logic seems likely to make itself felt in the years to come. When the
victory parades are over, the only real difference Sunday's narrow
vote will make is that Montenegro will be able enter Eurovision.
www.neilclark66.blogspot.com
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006.
=== 2 ===
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/24/
wnavy24.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/24/ixnews.html
Daily Telegraph - May 24, 2006
Serbia's navy left high and dry by the vote for independence
By David Rennie, Europe Correspondent
Serbia is about to join the select club of former
naval powers.
Officers, who remember the heyday of the old Yugoslav
navy - it boasted nearly 80 warships - are weighing
their options following Sunday's independence
referendum in Serbia's sister republic of Montenegro.
The Yes vote means Serbia will lose its sea ports and
naval bases.
Gen Radosav Martinovic, a military adviser to the
government of Montenegro, said that the Serbian navy
would be lucky to end up with some patrol craft on the
Danube.
The general invited Serbia's most capable admirals and
officers to stay on and help build a new Montenegrin
fleet.
The offer may not be that attractive, however, as the
new-born nation is planning a coastguard-style force,
based on fast patrol boats, plus a three-masted,
180-foot sail training ship, the Jadran.
The Montenegrin authorities have started auctioning
off some of the most picturesque bases on the Adriatic
to tourist developers.
Other nations, from Ethiopia to the Austro-Hungarian
empire, have lost coastlines and waved goodbye to
their navies.
Bolivia, defying the trend, still maintains a "navy"
of river boats and a clutch of admirals, despite
losing its coastline to Chile in 1884.
---
Helsinki Final Act, Inviolability Of Borders: Montenegro Europe's
15th New State
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=125&newsid=89786&ch=0
Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 5, 2006
Montenegro Sets Sights on UN
[My count of current European nations not on the map
before 1991: Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia,
Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Ukraine. Though many were independent
political entities between 1941-1945. For history
buffs - RR]
Podgorica - Montenegro’s President Filip Vujanovic
requested the small Balkan state to be received in the
UN just two days after it announced its independence,
AFP reports citing a communiqué.
“In accordance with the results of the referendum held
in Montenegro on May 21st I, in my capacity of
President of the republic, have the honour to ask you
to receive Montenegro in the UN,” a letter addressed
to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reads.
“Montenegro will abide by the UN’s Statute and its
principles,” the text reads.
1. N. Clark: Sunday's narrow vote will make is that Montenegro will
be able enter Eurovision
2. From R. Rozoff: Serbia's navy left high and dry by the vote for
independence / Helsinki Final Act, Inviolability Of Borders:
Montenegro Europe's 15th New State
=== 1 ===
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1781039,00.html
Tuesday May 23, 2006
The Guardian
Sunday's narrow vote will make is that Montenegro will be able enter
Eurovision.
Never mind the Balkans
Montenegro had more independence as part of Yugoslavia than it will
as an EU-Nato protectorate
Neil Clark
'Montenegro votes for independence", the headlines declared at the
result of the referendum in the Balkan republic. But is independence
really what lies in store? My dictionary has independence as:
"completely self-governing; not subject to or showing the influence
of others". By this definition, independence is not what they will be
getting.
The most important political and economic decisions, which will
affect the everyday lives of citizens in the republic, will not be
made in its capital, Podgorica, but in Brussels, Geneva and
Washington and the boardrooms of the multinational companies which
now dominate the country's economy.
It is ironic that EU and WTO membership has been most
enthusiastically supported by the prime minister, Milo Djukanovic,
and the pro-independence faction - for it's hard to think of an
easier way for a small country to lose national independence than by
surrendering control of trade and economic policy to unelected
bureaucrats miles away.
Nato membership, which Montenegro is also expected to pursue
enthusiastically, has similar consequences: the commanders of
Montenegro's new army and navy will have to get used to taking orders
from those who planned the 78-day bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.
Then there is the role of the IMF and the World Bank. These two
unelected bodies have, with the EU, sought to impose Thatcherite neo-
liberal solutions on Serbia-Montenegro, ever since the fall of
Yugoslavia's Socialist-led government in 2000. Thousands of socially
owned enterprises have already been privatised, but the west is still
not satisfied - the IMF has made further economic help dependent on
Belgrade selling off the valuable NIS oil company.
Montenegro's tiny economy is even more dominated by foreign capital
than Serbia's, with the privatisation process having started much
earlier. The selling off of nationally owned assets will have serious
implications for the country's future economic viability and even
with the tourist potential of its attractive coastline, it is
difficult to see how Montenegro can afford to pay its way, without
further surrender to western financial institutions. In doing so, it
will be following the path of its neighbours.
For all the novelties of statehood, the brutal truth is that today's
"independent" Balkan republics had, if anything, more independence
when they were autonomous republics inside the Yugoslav Federation.
In place of one militarily strong, internationally respected, non-
aligned nation, there now exists a number of weak, economically
unviable EU/IMF/Nato protectorates.
The dismantling of Yugoslavia, with its alternative economic and
social model, has suited western capitalism fine. But for the people
of the region, the benefits have been harder to discern. Little
wonder then that nostalgia for Tito's Yugoslavia is on the rise. The
website "Titoville" has received over 1m visitors and in Rakovice, a
suburb of Sarajevo, an anti-nationalist Serb named Jezdimir Milosevic
(no relation) has proclaimed "The Republic of Titoslavia", a state
"without territory, without international recognition, destined to
live in the hearts of its citizens". Passports are available for €10.
Over 65 years ago, on the eve of the attack on Yugoslavia by the Axis
powers, the Serbian jurist Slobodan Jovanovic argued that a single,
south Slav state was the best way the people of the Balkans could
guarantee their independence and protection. It still is - and that
logic seems likely to make itself felt in the years to come. When the
victory parades are over, the only real difference Sunday's narrow
vote will make is that Montenegro will be able enter Eurovision.
www.neilclark66.blogspot.com
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006.
=== 2 ===
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/05/24/
wnavy24.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/05/24/ixnews.html
Daily Telegraph - May 24, 2006
Serbia's navy left high and dry by the vote for independence
By David Rennie, Europe Correspondent
Serbia is about to join the select club of former
naval powers.
Officers, who remember the heyday of the old Yugoslav
navy - it boasted nearly 80 warships - are weighing
their options following Sunday's independence
referendum in Serbia's sister republic of Montenegro.
The Yes vote means Serbia will lose its sea ports and
naval bases.
Gen Radosav Martinovic, a military adviser to the
government of Montenegro, said that the Serbian navy
would be lucky to end up with some patrol craft on the
Danube.
The general invited Serbia's most capable admirals and
officers to stay on and help build a new Montenegrin
fleet.
The offer may not be that attractive, however, as the
new-born nation is planning a coastguard-style force,
based on fast patrol boats, plus a three-masted,
180-foot sail training ship, the Jadran.
The Montenegrin authorities have started auctioning
off some of the most picturesque bases on the Adriatic
to tourist developers.
Other nations, from Ethiopia to the Austro-Hungarian
empire, have lost coastlines and waved goodbye to
their navies.
Bolivia, defying the trend, still maintains a "navy"
of river boats and a clutch of admirals, despite
losing its coastline to Chile in 1884.
---
Helsinki Final Act, Inviolability Of Borders: Montenegro Europe's
15th New State
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=125&newsid=89786&ch=0
Focus News Agency (Bulgaria)
June 5, 2006
Montenegro Sets Sights on UN
[My count of current European nations not on the map
before 1991: Belarus, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia,
Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Ukraine. Though many were independent
political entities between 1941-1945. For history
buffs - RR]
Podgorica - Montenegro’s President Filip Vujanovic
requested the small Balkan state to be received in the
UN just two days after it announced its independence,
AFP reports citing a communiqué.
“In accordance with the results of the referendum held
in Montenegro on May 21st I, in my capacity of
President of the republic, have the honour to ask you
to receive Montenegro in the UN,” a letter addressed
to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reads.
“Montenegro will abide by the UN’s Statute and its
principles,” the text reads.