Japan welcomes independent Montenegro

Japan welcomes independent Montenegro

The tiny Balkan republic declared independence from Serbia on June 3, after its citizens supported the split by a slim margin in a May 21 referendum.

Japan will dispatch Akiko Yamanaka, vice minister for foreign affairs, to Montenegro on June 21 to serve as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's special envoy to Montenegrin Prime Minster Milo Dukanovic, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, the AP reports.

The dispatch of a special envoy is meant to underline Japan's commitment to "peace and stability of Western Balkan countries," the Foreign Ministry said.