Moscow warns of chaos in Balkans

Peace or war in the volatile Balkan region -- with consequences for the whole of Europe -- depends on this coming Sunday's parliamentary election in tiny Montenegro, according to official Russian sources. "Stability in Yugoslavia and the whole of the Balkans largely depends on the outcome of the election" there, according to the Voice of Russia World Service, the official broadcasting service of the Russian government.

The central issue in the elections involves whether or not Montenegro should secede from Serbia, and, in effect, end the existence of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Emerging from a cordial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic stated that present Balkan borders must be maintained. "Inviolability of (Balkan) borders is one of the main conditions for stability in the region as a whole," Zizic declared.

"The increased number of borders in the Balkans," should Montenegro vote to secede, " will result in the escalation of extremism and terrorism," according to Zizic.

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Zizic came to Moscow for a two-day visit to gain Russian financial aid assistance, as well as political backing for Belgrade.

Russia responded quickly to Belgrade's requests. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov referred to Yugoslavia as an "old friend," and Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov stated that Moscow is prepared to offer "broad cooperation" in rebuilding industrial facilities destroyed during NATO's 78-day air war against Yugoslavia.

Moscow also reaffirmed its firm support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Yugoslav Federation, which currently comprises only Serbia and the much smaller state of Montenegro. Yugoslavia once included the now-independent states of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia.

Since the end of Turkish rule in the Balkans in the 19th and early 20th centuries, national boundaries have tended to be drawn in blood, while the nations in the region were used as pawns by larger powers.

Zizic warned of the potential disaster of the fragmentation of the region, stating, "secession of Montenegro would not only cause a political crisis and destabilize the situation in the Balkans, but it would also wipe the Balkans off Europe's political map."

While Zizic was in Moscow, the U.N. authority in the nominally Serb province of Kosovo (UNMIK) established customs border posts for the collection of tax money for those crossing the Serbia-Kosovo border.

The Serbian parliament condemned the installation of the customs posts on the Serb-Kosovo frontier, as Serbs near the border blocked roads and a mass protest rally was held, according to Radio Yugoslavia, an official information service of the Yugoslav government.

Belgrade views the use of customs points on the border as a step toward an independent Kosovo.

Moscow remains adamant in its support of Belgrade, and is convinced of the area's vital importance.

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The Voice of Russia cited scholars participating in an "economic roundtable" which it sponsored, who defined the Balkans as "a crucial region, which may decide the fate of Europe," where "a major conflict" could occur with "unpredictable consequences."

Russia, along with Yugoslavia, is determined to remove NATO's presence from Kosovo and the Balkans in general. One of the major problems identified in VOR's "roundtable" discussion was "how long to put up with the presence of NATO in the former Yugoslavia."

While Moscow traditionally has been an ally of Yugoslavia, it is not alone in its determination to aid an "old friend." The People's Republic of China, a supporter of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, has also expressed interest in assisting Belgrade's financial and political needs.