President Filip Vujanovic said on 13 May that Montenegro could achieve its goal of EU membership much more quickly if it were independent.

Vujanovic said he disagrees with suggestions by Western representatives that Montenegrin independence would destabilize the Balkans.

He added that independence must be achieved as soon as possible because the state union between Serbia and Montenegro is not functioning and is too expensive.

For Vujanovic, the best solution for both countries would be peaceful dissolution similar to the 1993 Czech-Slovak partition.

(RFE/RL 14.v.04)