Opting for independence

Scripps Howard: The breakup of Yugoslavia, which formally started to dissolve in 1991 when Slovenia and Croatia declared independence from Belgrade, is now close to complete.
In a referendum Sunday, voters in Montenegro narrowly voted to go their own way. It will join Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in becoming independent of Belgrade.
Although there was considerable sentiment for remaining federated with Serbia, the referendum merely ratified the reality that over the decade the two had drifted apart. Montenegro sat on the sidelines in 1999 when NATO forcibly drove Serbian troops out of Kosovo.
Montenegrins believed, with good reason, that Serbia was holding it back in its desire to integrate with Europe. Last week, when the European Union broke off talks with the federation over Serbia's inability to arrest Gen. Ratko Mladic, long sought on international war-crimes charges, was perhaps decisive.
Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic immediately announced that Montenegro, which already uses the euro, would seek membership in the EU and then NATO. While the United States and Western Europe may take NATO for granted, the former Iron Curtain countries treasure NATO membership as acceptance as equals by the West, a guarantee of their continuing independence and a symbol of their emergence from the cold shadow of communism.
NBA fan
As for Montenegro's attitude toward the United States, suffice it to say that Djukanovic is a serious fan of the NBA.
Montenegro is a beautiful but isolated corner of Europe bordering on the Adriatic. American readers of detective fiction may know it as the homeland of Nero Wolfe. There is some question whether a nation of only 620,000 can make it on its own, but many of the United Nations' 191 members are even smaller. And Montenegro could thrive within the EU, which could bring badly needed trade investment and tourism.