Recession lessons (12)On 21.05.2006 the people of Montenegro voted for independence from Serbia, and the country is now a sovereign state and member of the UN, with EU candidate status expected this year. Having spent most of the 20th century with a managed economy as part of Yugoslavia, much of Montenegro's infrastructure is dilapidated and in need of urgent reconstruction. With some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, the topography ranges from 2 km-high peaks along the borders with Serbia and Albania to a 2-5 km-wide coastal plain along the Adriatic. The first steps towards reconstruction are being made, with feasibility studies getting underway, see tunnelbuilder archive me/11. When Montenegro achieves EU membership, the TEN Trans European Network will be extended to and through the country, with motorways and high speed rail links requiring large-scale tunnelling. Contractors and suppliers with experience in the Karst of the western Balkan peninsula take note! More from www.montenegro.org. 15/09.