AFP
A chronology of the main dates between Serbia and Montenegro

PARIS, April 20 - Montenegro, Serbia's sole partner in the Yugoslav federation formed in 1992, has been inching towards independence from Belgrade since President Milo Djukanovic came to power in 1998.

Djukanovic, who has kept a diplomatic distance from Serbia, wants to transform the Yugoslav federation into two separate independent states to be recognised internationally, but such a move is opposed by Serbia and has yet to receive world support.

Here is a chronology of the main dates in the uneasy partnership between the two republics:

1992

March: Montenegrins vote overwhelmingly in favour of remaining part of the post-communist Yugoslavia and Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic supports Belgrade throughout the 1992-95 conflict in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

1993

Serbia, severely affected by international sanctions, imposes a ban on food supplies to Montenegro, which it accuses of re-exporting goods to neighbouring countries, particularly Albania, considered by Belgrade to be hostile to the Yugoslav federation.

1995 

October: In the former capital Cetinje, President Bulatovic's car is stoned by protestors favouring independence from Serbia.

November: Visit to the United States by then Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, during which he offers, without consulting Belgrade, to put the Adriatic port of Bar at the disposition of NATO forces carrying out a peace-keeping mission in Bosnia.

1996 

November: Relations between Podgorica and Belgrade cool after the Serbian authorities annul the results of municipal elections in many towns won by the opposition. Djukanovic urges Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic to find a "democratic solution" to the crisis.

1997

February: Djukanovic speaks out against Milosevic for the first time, hailing him as "an incompetent politician" and calling for him to step down.

April: Djukanovic refuses to sack members of the government hostile to Milosevic, thus setting himself against President Bulatovic.

June: Montenegro opposes election of Yugoslav president by universal suffrage, dealing a blow to Milosevic's political ambitions.

July: Bulatovic is stripped of position as president of the ruling Democratic Socialist Party (DPS) and is replaced by Djukanovic.

August: Djukanovic accuses Belgrade of an "economic blockade"of Montenegro.

October: Djukanovic beats Bulatovic in the second round of presidential elections, a setback for Milosevic. The constitutional court rejects Bulatovic's claim of electoral fraud.

1998 

January 12: 15,000 Bulatovic supporters try to storm government
buildings in Podgorica.

January 15: Djukanovic takes office, strongly backed by the big Western powers, and provoking a hostile reaction from Milosevic's regime in Belgrade.

April: Djukanovic warns that federal Yugoslavia is heading for a "catastrophe" under Milosevic.

May 20: Bulatovic is named prime minister of federal Yugoslavia by Milosevic, despite Montenegro's objections.

May 26: The European Union declares support for pro-market reforms introduced by Djukanovic.

May 28: Djukanovic's allies rout the Bulatovic faction in legislative elections.

1999

March 24: Montenegro says it will not recognise a state of war declared by Belgrade following the start of NATO bombing designed to force Yugoslavia to the negotiating table over Kosovo.

April 21: Montenegro defies an order from Belgrade to place its police force under army command.

July: Increased military activity by the Yugoslav army is reported in Montenegro, while Djukanovic receives Western backing at the Sarajevo summit on the Balkans, to which Belgrade representatives are not invited.

August: Podgorica proposes that federal Yugoslavia become the "community of Montenegro and Serbia", in which the powers of the respective states would be increased and those of the common institutions curbed.

October: Podgorica passes a law proclaiming the primacy of Montenegrin citizenship over that of Yugoslavia.

November 2: Montenegro proclaims the German mark as legal tender alongside the Yugoslav dinar, a measure the Yugoslav constitutional court declares unconstitutional on January 26, 2000.

December 8: Montenegro proclaims its sole ownership of the country's main airports in Podgorica and Tivat on the Adriatic coast.

2000

March 6: Belgrade orders a blockade of trade between the two republics. NATO and the European Union declare support for Montenegro.

July 6: The federal parliament amends the Yugoslav constitution in ways that weaken Montenegro's political influence and allow Milosevic to stand for a further presidential mandate. Djukanovic says Belgrade has "destroyed the country's constitutional system".

July 8: The Montenegro parliament says the constitutional amendments are illegal. September 24: Montenegro boycotts the federal elections and four days later "recognises the victory" of opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica in the presidential race, a victory hotly contested by Milosevic.

October 8: Lifting of the Belgrade-imposed blockade of the border between Serbia and Montenegro after Kostunica takes power following the dismissal of Milosevic, who is finally forced to acknowledge electoral defeat, having tried to cling on to power for two weeks.

November: The German mark becomes the sole legal currency in Montenegro.

December 29: Belgrade rejects Montenegrin proposals to transform the federal state into a union of two independent states each with its own seat at the United Nations.

2001

January 10: Podgorica rejects Kostunica's proposal for the reform of the federal state, which include maintaining the powers of the federal parliament to elect the president. Foreign affairs, defence, economic and transport policies would all be decided in common, along with the protection of civil rights and freedoms.

18: Kostunica promises to "do nothing" to prevent Montenegro leaving the federal state.

22: Announcement of general election. Djukanovic promises a referendum on independence before the end of June if he wins.

30: Djukanovic's case for independence given lukewarm reception during a visit to Washington.

February 9: European Union warns Montenegro against unilateral declaration of independence and calls for a negotiated settlement of its differences with Serbia.

April 11: The Contact Group for the former Yugoslavia called on Belgrade and Podgorica to resume a dialogue over their relations.

"We support a democratic Montenegro in a democratic Yugoslavia. Such process excludes any unilateral action," the group's statement said.