Montenegro celebrates anniversary
Montenegro has been celebrating its first anniversary of independence by looking forward rather than back.
The Balkan country, which has a long and attractive coastline on the shores of the Adriatic, became a country in its own right last May for the first time since the formation of Yugoslavia in 1918.
A referendum saw the country voting to split from the Republic of Serbia and Montenegro.
In a speech yesterday, President Filip Vujanovic stressed the importance of taking the country forward by joining Nato and the European Union.
Both of these memberships have been seen by eastern European countries as joining the west and leaving behind the legacy of the cold war.
Since the end of the cold war, the EU has gained ten new members from the east, with Slovenia being the first former Yugoslav country to join, while both Croatia and Macedonia are currently membership candidates.
By establishing close links with the west, Montenegro may benefit both through its already fast-growing tourist industry, as well as becoming attractive to property investors due to its coastal scenery and possible future membership of the Eurozone.
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