Montenegro has been faced with the arrival of tens of thousands of Kosovo Albanian refugees in the country, which are a severe burden on its economy, which is suffering under international sanctions imposed against Yugoslavia. The Montenegrin Government has appealed for humanitarian aid to help it cope.

President Djukanovic has long opposed President Milosevic’s uncompromising stance over Kosovo. However, he has also called for an end to Nato airstrikes, warning that they could destabilise his country. “There is a serious danger that even our state may disappear and burn down in the violence”, he said.