PODGORICA, Montenegro, March 15 (UPI) -- Montenegro took a step Thursday toward possible EU membership with the initialing of a stabilization and association agreement with the European Union.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and Montenegrin Prime Minister Zeljko Sturanovic initialed the document, which is binding on the tiny Balkan country to implement EU standards, Serbia's Beta news agency reported.
It obliges Montenegro to reform its judiciary and intensify the struggle against corruption and organized crime.
Montenegro has to work out a new constitution to European norms, before the stabilization and association agreement is formally signed and sent to parliaments of Montenegro and EU member countries for ratification.
Talks on Montenegro's accession to the EU would follow.
The union of Serbia and Montenegro began EU association talks Oct. 10, 2005, but these were put off by Brussels after Serbia failed to hand over former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic to the U.N. tribunal in The Hague.
In May, Montenegro seceded from the union with Serbia and in July resumed EU talks as an independent country. Montenegro completed technical part of talks with the EU on Dec. 1.
