LUXEMBOURG - Montenegro signed a key accord with the European Union on Monday that put the small Adriatic republic on the first rung of the ladder to eventual membership of the 27-nation bloc.
Prime Minister Zeljko Sturanovic signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg after overcoming a last-minute hitch involving Bulgaria, which objected to the wording of the text.
Sofia had threatened to delay the signature in its battle for the right to use the Bulgarian name "evro" for the currency in its Cyrillic alphabet, but it allowed the signing to go ahead after EU envoys pledged in a declaration to address the problem.
Montenegro, the world's newest independent state, voted to leave its union with Serbia in May 2006.
News
Russia and Ukraine agree to temporary Orthodox Easter truce
In the Orthodox calendar, Easter falls one week after the date celebrated in western Europe.
Bishop urges people of Britain to stand up for Christian truth
It follows an earlier open letter addressed to King Charles, calling upon him to defend Christianity in line with his titles of Supreme Governor of the Church of England and "Defender of the Faith".
Fundraising Regulator reminds churches that collections are subject to code of practice
Churches can breach the code even when acting in good faith.
Religion is often left unspoken in the workplace despite widespread faith identity, research finds
Fifteen per cent of UK employees with a faith say they have experienced religious discrimination in the workplace.