PANEL DISCUSSION: Referendum on Independence - The Day After

May 22, 2006

PATRICK ROCK – GUEST of the ISAC FUND

Aiming to contribute to a flavoured and constructive public debate on the future of relations between Serbia and Montenegro in the post-referendum circumstances, as well as to the calming of potential post-referendum tensions in both states, members of the former State Union, ISAC Fund organized a panel discussion titled "Referendum on Independence – The Day After", on May 22 in Belgrade's Media Centre.

Panellists in the discussion moderated by ISAC Fund’s President, Mr. Pavle Jankovic, were Mr. Patrick Rock, Member of Cabinet of the former External Relations Commissioner and Mrs. Milica Delevic-Djilas, Professor at the Faculty of Political Science of the Belgrade University.
Mr. Rock, who is currently a public affairs consultant in London, was the chief architect of the 'Twin Track" approach to Serbia-Montenegro's European integration, a precedent Commission's policy that enabled separate accession negotiations of both Serbia and Montenegro in the matters of their separate prerogatives, thus overcoming the stalemate in the State Union’s integration process.  Ms. Delevic-Djilas was the Head of the State Union's EU Integration Office at the time the "Twin Track" approach was adopted. 

Rock and Delevic-Djilas were among the first to point out the "inherent disfunctionality" of the State Union - as stipulated by the founding documents: the Belgrade Agreement and the Constitutional Charter - recognizing in its structures a bottleneck rather than the mechanisms allowing for the "fastest way" to Europe.

The presentations were followed by a discussion with analysts, journalists and other guests.

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