The president of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, has been elected unopposed as chairman of the governing Democratic Party of Socialists at its conference in the capital, Podgorica.

Correspondents say the move strengthens the power base of the reformist president who last year split with Montengrin supporters of the Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic.

Mr Djukanovic gave a warning that Montenegro now faces more serious dangers than at any time since the Second World War.

He said that on the one hand Serbian hegemonists were trying to make Montenegro an underling, while on the other Montenegrin adventurers were pursuing policies which could cause war with Serbia, or civil war within Montenegro.