President Clinton has expressed understanding for Montenegro's desire to redefine its relationship with Serbia, its much bigger partner in the Yugoslav federation, Montenegro's pro-Western President, Mr Milo Djukanovic, said yesterday.
Mr Djukanovic has frequently clashed with the Yugoslav President, Mr Slobodan Milosevic, accusing Belgrade of trying to destabilise Montenegro and threatening to hold a referendum on independence.
Speaking to journalists after meeting Mr Clinton in Slovenia on Monday night, Mr Djukanovic said he had not sought backing for independence for Montenegro, which accounts for some 5 per cent of Yugoslavia in terms of area and economic strength.
But if Serbia did not become more democratic and allow Montenegro greater autonomy, Montenegro's people could be asked to decide its future in a referendum.
"We for our part have proposed to the government in Belgrade a platform for redefining relations between Montenegro and Serbia on a new basis which will ensure the required degree of autonomy for Montenegro, so that we can proceed with a dynamic policy of economic and democratic reform," he said.
Mr Djukanovic said his tiny republic, Serbia's last remaining partner following the break-up of the former six-member Yugoslav federation, wanted to ensure it retained "a degree of immunity from disruptive actions from Belgrade".
"I must say that President Clinton showed full understanding for such ambitions by Montenegro," he added. "He really supported Montenegro's ambitions to carry on with such policies."
Mr Clinton left Slovenia earlier yesterday after an 18-hour visit, the first by a US president, during which he praised the peaceful and prosperous country as a model for the whole of south-eastern Europe.
Mr Djukanovic, speaking through an interpreter at a castle north-west of the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, said that in his talks with Mr Clinton he had not sought recognition for Montenegro as an independent state.
"Montenegro has a very clear strategy, which is an open, multiethnic and democratic society, economic reforms and prosperity, linking up with developed European countries and with transatlantic integration. We will try to achieve this in the entity in which we live."
But he added: "Unless they agree that our relations be redefined on this democratic basis, then Yugoslavia will not really represent a good framework for Montenegro. Montenegro will not sacrifice its future for life in such a state."