Podgorica, Montenegro ? Montenegro’s parliament declared independence from Serbia for the tiny Balkan republic Saturday, forming Europe’s newest country and dissolving the last vestiges of the former Yugoslavia.

The assembly adopted a declaration of independence, verifying the results of a May 21 referendum in which Montenegrins supported a split from Serbia by a slim margin. The document envisages Montenegro as a “multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society … based on the rule of law and market economy.”

The authorities then raised a red-and-gold Montenegrin flag over the parliament building and played the ancient Montenegrin anthem – “Oh, The Bright May Dawn” – as fireworks exploded. But only a few hundred people celebrated in the capital’s streets because of a downpour.