"Serbia and Montenegro is trying to contribute to the democratisation of all the states in the region, by respecting human rights and those of ethnic minorities," Tadic said after talks with German counterpart Peter Struck.

"Without the help of Germany and NATO we will not be able to carry out such a policy," he said.

Struck promised Tadic that Germany would "collaborate closely" on matters of defence and said that Serbia and Montenegro had a large role to play in stabilising the Balkans region.

Tadic said he wanted to set up a defence working group with international experts and called on Germany to take part. The United States, Britain, Spain, Norway and Slovakia have also been asked to join.

He also said that international peacekeepers would have to stay in the region until the "Balkans had received enough aid to carry out reforms."

In February, Serbia and Montenegro formed a new union, dissolving the Yugoslav federation created by former president Slobodan Milosevic.

The European Union has urged Serbia, with some 10 million people, and Montenegro, a mountainous republic of just 650,000, to remain allies for the sake of stability in the Balkans.

WAR.WIRE