Yugoslav troops closed the main airport in Montenegro for more than 12 hours yesterday in the most serious incident yet between the regime in Belgrade and its independence-minded junior partner.
Yugoslav army units, backed by armoured vehicles, took over control of the facility in Podgorica late on Wednesday, a day before the planned takeover of the civilian part of the airport by Montenegrin authorities.
Montenegro's reformist government last week proclaimed the airport to be the republic's property and announced a takeover of the facility in Podgorica and in the coastal town of Tivat from the Belgrade-based Yugoslav state airline JAT.
Montenegro also launched its own airline, which has not come under the international air embargo on Yugoslavia, imposed by the EU and its allies.
Part of the Podgorica airport, however, is a Yugoslav air force base controlled by President Slobodan Milosevic's allies in the federal army.
Yesterday's incident was the latest in an escalating row over the Montenegrin push for greater autonomy from Serbia, its dominant partner in the Yugoslav federation.
The US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright, said her government was concerned about Serbia's behaviour towards Montenegro and would not let the smaller republic be bullied by Belgrade.
The NATO secretary-general, Lord Robertson, said yesterday the West was closely monitoring events in Montenegro, warning Mr Milosevic not to begin the new century stirring up tensions in the Balkans.
"President Milosevic should be well warned that he should not start the 21st century fomenting more trouble in the Balkans," Lord Robertson said after talks with the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Massimo D'Alema, in Rome. "We watch with concern and with great attention what is happening in Montenegro and to President Djukanovic in that part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who has a democratic mandate from his people."