site.btaSerbian Foreign Ministry Claims Montenegro Inflicting Unnecessary Blow to Bilateral Relations

Serbia’s Foreign Ministry said here on Friday that Montenegro’s Foreign Ministry, “without any real reason or need,” was creating a pretext for a public attack against Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic over his statement that he would not participate in the celebration marking the 20th anniversary of Montenegro’s separation from Serbia, RTS reported.

Montenegro’s Foreign Ministry said that Vucic continued to use rhetoric that does not contribute to good-neighbourly relations.

“He (Aleksandar Vucic) expressed a completely legitimate and in no way offensive position that he does not wish to celebrate the separation of two close and brotherly states. We regret to note that Montenegro’s Foreign Ministry continues to resort to rhetoric that does not contribute to the development of good-neighbourly relations and mutual respect between two mutually recognized sovereign states,” the Serbian Ministry said in its response.

Belgrade recalled that in 2006, following Montenegro’s referendum, Serbia immediately and fully recognized Montenegro’s independence and established diplomatic relations. It added that Serbia had thereby clearly demonstrated that it respects and does not question Montenegro’s sovereignty, territorial integrity or European path.

However, this does not mean that Serbia should remain silent in the face of attempts to erase or relativize historical truth and facts. Both Montenegro and Serbia were members of the state union, but centuries before that they were part of the same state, to a large extent the same people, and shared the same destiny, the Serbian Ministry said.

It was also emphasized that President Vucic does not dispute Montenegro’s independence and has repeatedly stated that Serbia sees Montenegro as a brotherly and friendly country. 

“What he stressed is that Montenegro’s independence cannot and should not be used as an excuse to deny the Serbian identity, culture, language and religion of a large number of Montenegro’s citizens, nor to incite divisions within Montenegrin society,” the Ministry in Belgrade underscored. 

"Montenegro celebrates its independence and has every right to do so. But this celebration should not turn into a campaign against Serbia and the Serbian people, nor into an attempt to erase from history everything that unites us,” the Serbian Ministry added.

According to Belgrade, Serbia remains firmly committed to developing good-neighbourly relations with Montenegro based on equality, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. The Foreign Ministry also noted that such relations cannot be built on a selective interpretation of history, denial of one people’s identity in another country, or rhetoric that promotes confrontation instead of cooperation.

“The anniversary of the restoration of Montenegro’s independence is also an opportunity for both our countries to turn toward a European, prosperous and shared future in which Serbs and Montenegrins will live as brothers, not as strangers. Serbia is ready for this. We expect Montenegro to show the same readiness,” the Serbian Ministry said.