Montenegro

This is, however, not the only issue that has been drawing the attention of the Montenegrin public lately. Namely, the public is faced with the question of whether Montenegro can and whether it wants to achieve the promised cooperativeness with the international community or whether it intends, with voices that meet with no response, to keep up, as long as possible, the citizens' hopes that better times will come.

The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry pointed out that it had found out from the press about the alleged answer of the UN Security Council's Committee for sanctions to Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, explaining that "this was a request of the Montenegrin government signed by republic Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic sent to Boutros Ghali and other UN bodies in charge of deciding on the mentioned request, on May 29th. Informing the public about the fate of the request, the Ministry claimed that it is currently being considered by the Security Council, the only body authorized to decide on the request. This, therefore, keeps up the hopes that the so called "Iraqi model" will be applied on Montenegro, that is, that it will be allowed to export a certain amount of aluminum and to import the necessary food and medicine. However, fewer and fewer people believe in this.

The Montenegrin authorities clearly said: "There is no life under the sanctions". At a recent meeting of 200 representatives of the Montenegrin trade union and the highest authorities, the trade union members adopted conclusions consisting of ten points. "We de,and the lifting of the sanctions, a return to the normal world, a legal and socially just state in which production would revive and where workers will be able to live from their work in a dignified way", was the first request made to the Montengrin authorities. "Everything is clear", said Danilo Popovic, president of the Council of Independent Montenegrin trade unions. "We cannot agree to the further impoverishment of workers, to the further destruction of the economy and of the country's future. Is it too much to demand of the state we live in to provide such conditions where people can work and live from their work? "Our demands", continued Popovic, "are simple and modest. An end must be put to the spread of illusions about survival under sanctions is possible and everything must be done in order to lift the blockade as soon as possible. We demand that during that time, a minimal existence be ensured, that sufficient amounts of the basic necessities be provided and the robbery of socially-owned property must be stopped..."

"There is no need for political promotions to be made under the guise of trade unions", reacted Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic, stressing that he was shocked by the opening speech of union leader Danilo Popovic and the support he got at that meeting.