The Balkan federation of Yugoslavia was officially dissolved today after parliament adopted a constitution setting up a new state called "Serbia and Montenegro".
The assembly cleared the final hurdle for the formation of the Western-brokered union by adopting its constitutional charter with an absolute majority in both houses. It comes into force immediately.
The legislatures of Serbia and Montenegro, the last two republics in Yugoslavia after the old six-member socialist federation collapsed in bloodshed during the rule of Slobodan Milosevic in the 1990s, voted in favour of the accord last week.
The Yugoslav parliament's two houses also adopted accompanying legislation under which union institutions such as a 126-strong parliament and a five-member council of ministers will be established within 30 days.