MONTENEGRO'S APPLICATION FOR UN MEMBERSHIP WAS STUDIED BY THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY, THE FIRST STEP BEFORE IT CAN JOIN THE ORGANIZATION, WHICH NOW HAS 191 MEMBERS, DPA REPORTED. UPON REACHING AN AGREEMENT, THE 15-NATION COUNCIL WILL RECOMMEND THE APPLICATION TO THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR A FINAL APPROVAL. NO OTHER STATES HAD BEEN REJECTED IN THE PAST. MONTENEGRO LAST MONTH VOTED TO SEPARATE FROM THE FEDERATION WITH SERBIA, FURTHER BREAKING UP THE BLOC OF COUNTRIES THAT FORMED YUGOSLAVIA. SEVERAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING DENMARK AND NORWAY, HAVE RECOGNIZED MONTENEGRO'S INDEPENDENCE.
