Zoran Djindjic, expected to be elected prime minister of Serbia this month, is against Yugoslavia joining NATO's Partnershp for Peace association with eastern European countries, the news agency Fonet reported on Saturday.
Djindjic, a backer of new Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, was quoted as saying: "Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia must focus on the European Union, the south-east European stability pact and the regional demilitarization and security pact."
"Military alliances are a thing of the past, and it's useless reviving them and keeping them artificially alive," he added.
Djindjic, a leader of the Democratic Opposition of Serbia, is the sole candidate as prime minister in December 23 elections in Serbia, which is by far the larger of the two states making up Yugoslavia.
NATO's Partnership for Peace was created in 1994.
Under it the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its former eastern European adversaries set up a joint program of military cooperation involving exchanges and joint operations, but without a formal security guarantee -- BELGRADE (AFP)
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