Belgrade, 1 August 200 (RFE/RL) - A meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic in Rome was interrupted to allow Albright to go to a Vatican meeting on the stalled Middle East peace talks. Their meeting is to resume later in the day. Albright is expected to urge Djukanovic not to boycott presidential, parliamentary and local elections in Yugoslavia on 24 September.
Albright said earlier that it was important for the democratic opposition in Serbia to unite behind one candidate and participate in the elections. But the Serbian Renewal Movement still plans to boycott upcoming Yugoslav elections in protest of constitutional changes that have allowed Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to run again on a popular ballot.
Fifteen Serbian opposition parties on the weekend agreed to mount a joint challenge to Milosevic.
Fifteen Serbian opposition parties on the weekend agreed to mount a joint challenge to Milosevic.