Yugoslav President: Montenegrins Voted For Integral State

The elections in Montenegro showed that its citizens, displaying political consciousness, voted to maintain the integrity of the state, while the elections themselves confirmed the viability of the idea of a single state of Serbia and Montengro, reads a written statement by President Vojislav Kostunica of Yugoslavia sent to the media today. The document stresses that the mass turn-out of the Montenegrin electorate testified to its maturity, courage and consciousness with regard to the national honour and the necessity to preserve the state's integrity. According to the President, a nearly 50:50 division of the votes suggests the necessity to reach a political agreement above all in Montenegro itself, both between political parties and in society as a whole. Only then will it be possible to start negotiations with union and Serbian political circles showing mutual tolerance and responsibility. Vojislav Kostunica believes that the elections mark the end of the "political drama" in both Yugoslavian republics and their advance towards "rational and beneficial solutions." Thus, "together we will make the most rational decision for our single state, which should be a member of the European and world family of democratic countries," the president stressed.

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