Serbian president fails to arrive at Supreme Defence Council

21:02 PODGORICA, Wednesday – Yugoslavia’s Supreme Defence Council met today without Serbian President Milan Milutinovic. Milutinovic failed to appear in Podgorica for the meeting, claiming ill health.

The Supreme Defence Council consists of the federal president and the presidents of Serbia and Montenegro. It has not met for almost two years, most of its functions having been taken over personally by former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.

A statement issued jointly by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic after the meeting noted that the security situation in Yugoslavia had improved after the democratic changes in Serbia, and that these changes would provide the conditions for long-term stability and the democratic development of Yugoslavia.

Also attending today’s meeting were the Yugoslav Army’s chief of staff, General Nebojsa Pavkovic and the Council’s secretary, Slavoljub Susuc.