Croatian President Stipe Mesic sent a message of congratulations, while Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said the vote would "contribute to stability in this part of Europe."
Agim Ceku, the ethnic Albanian prime minister of Kosovo, said the result was "the final act of the dissolution of Yugoslavia." Kosovo is also seeking independence from Serbia. He predicted that Kosovo would join Montenegro as a new state before the end of the year and said both would be "an important factor for the stability of the whole region."
Macedonian Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski called the vote "the end of the Yugoslav project, which was created a long time ago with good intentions."
Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said the results of the referendum had made the region freer, more stable, and more secure "on the road toward Euro-Atlantic integration."
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa also welcomed the vote and called on the two sides to avoid "additional tensions."
(compiled from agency reports)