Montenegro's parliament to held independence referendum in May

Montenegro 's parliament is expected Wednesday to formally set a May date for a referendum on independence. Montenegro's rival camps, the ruling pro-independence party and pro-Serbian opposition groups, have reached a consensus on holding the referendum on May 21, EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak said Tuesday.

Photo: Montenegro's parliament to held independence referendum in May

They also agreed on EU guidelines proposing that Montenegro can break its union with Serbia if at least 55 percent of voters who cast ballots opt to make their tiny republic a sovereign state, Lajcak said. The decisions must win formal approval from Montenegro 's parliament, which meets Wednesday.

Montenegro is the only republic to remain with much bigger Serbia following the violent breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. But relations between the two allies have worsened over the years as Montenegro 's pro-independence drive gained strength, reports the AP.

N.U.