This Balkan political marketing is a miracle... Designed as an interstate, but intended for internal use...
On the eve of the 32nd anniversary of the attack on Dubrovnik and the occupation of Konavale, Croatia remembered to send a note of protest to Montenegro due to the commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the school ship Jadran.
- They seem to want to secede, and we don't seem to let them - this is how a 19-year-old soldier described the conflict between the Territorial Defense of Slovenia and the Yugoslav People's Army in 1991 to Jutel Television at the dawn of the so-called war for peace.
Three decades later, Croatia is still angry with Montenegro because of the destruction of Dubrovnik and the destruction of its surroundings, but it is not sending a note of protest because of the unconvicted crime(s) and unpaid war reparations, but because of - celebrating the birthday of a ship...
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What does Zagreb want from Podgorica?
- To prioritize the bilateral resolution of the fate of the school ship Jadran, "a symbol of centuries-old Croatian maritime tradition".
- Until then, avoid unilateral activities that are contrary to efforts to find a permanent solution in the spirit of good neighborly relations, principles of respect and international law.
What is - yes, there is no flaw in the diplomatic vocabulary in this note.
So where do we get marketing for internal use?
Well, from the claim that "Croatia has been persistently trying to return that sailing ship since 1991". And the diplomatic correspondence available to the public says that the first sharp protest on that topic was sent - in 2018.
And why do I think it's about politics and not justice?
Because, according to the Agreement on the Succession of the SFRY, ownership is not determined by whose fleet list the ship was entered in before secession - which Croatia refers to.
But where the ship was at that moment - which was the key argument of Montenegro five years ago.
There is no Greek in the response of the Montenegrin Prime Minister to the note of protest.
- On the contrary, if we can find solutions in a dignified way, properly, neighborly and friendly - we are here. Until then, the Ministry of Defense and all other ministries will dispose of their assets as they see fit. The celebration of the ship's 90 years is in our jurisdiction - said Dritan Abazović.
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It was realistic to expect from the Croatian side that there would be Greeks. But not on the occasion of a celebration in honor of a sailing ship, because of which Montenegro in 2023 is suspected of "appropriation of other people's property contrary to customary customs".
But because of what Montenegro did in 1991/92. on the Dubrovnik battlefield. That effect, transcribed from the war balance sheet of the state of Croatia, looks like this:
- Killed: 116 civilians.
- Killed: 194 Croatian fighters and 165 members of the JNA from Montenegro.
- Imprisoned: 443 people in Morinj (Montenegro) and Bileća (BiH) camps in inhumane conditions.
- Expelled: 33.000 locals.
- Destroyed: 2071 residential buildings.
- Carried out: organized robbery of private and public property.
The anthological "rescue of Tuđman's cows" that ended up in Spuz... And the equipment from the airport in Ćilipi... And the printing presses that Cetinje refused to receive, but Titograd did not.
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There is more, the direct damage caused by the Montenegrin reservists and the JNA in the area of Dubrovnik was estimated at 643 million German marks.
Montenegro paid Croatia 375.000 euros for livestock stolen in Konavle and 30.000 for a boat stolen in Cavtat.
She still owed only 321.297.500 euros, and that at the most favorable exchange rate from 2001. But, a year earlier, both countries had officially submitted to collective aMnesia.
The Croatian-Montenegrin idyll began as soon as our President expressed his regret "for all the pain, all the suffering and all the material losses caused to them by any representative of Montenegro as part of the JNA in those tragic events".
Instead of asking for compensation "for all the pain, all the suffering and all the material losses", Croatia chose to remain silent, embraced our President as his own and opened the way for him to Washington, Brussels and all European capitals.
And she stayed with him not only during two decades of rule, but also after he lost power...
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When the killing of civilians, the shelling of Dubrovnik, and the destruction of its wider surroundings are no longer a problem for Croatia, why (p)remained disputed only one sailing ship - well, it is not possible to understand that from the protest note.
The Succession Agreement, which was signed in Vienna in 2001, under European auspices, is not the clearest either. Nor is he the only one who still causes doubts to this day.
Such are all the Balkan agreements for which the European Union is responsible, ever since it failed to implement the first and most important one - on the peaceful demarcation of the republics of the SFRY in 1991.
And what does he say about the distribution of her property?
Annex A, movable and immovable property, article three:
- Movable tangible state property of the SFRY will pass to the successor state on whose territory the property was located on the day it declared its independence.
So that everything is not immediately clear, the authors made an effort in the first paragraph of the fourth article.
- Regardless of paragraph (1) of Article 3 of this annex, movable material state property of the SFRY that was part of the military property of that state will be the subject of special arrangements to be agreed between the interested successor states.
The long-standing dispute between Croatia and Slovenia has shown what those "subsequent successor agreements" look like. Negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo will show, in some of the next decades...
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That the Adriatic remains ours even without this mortification, the continuation of the Succession Agreement still gives hope:
- In relation to tangible movable and immovable property of the former JNA that was used for civilian purposes, the arrangements specified in paragraph (1) of this article will recognize the importance of article 2 (1) and 3 (1) of this annex.
It's a bit clumsy, but the essence is clear.
The school ship Jadran was used for civilian purposes.
Its owner is the successor in whose territory it was at the time of the declaration of independence.
Croatia declared its independence on June 25, 1991, but the sailing ship was not on its territory at that time.
It sailed to Montenegro at the end of 1990, Croatian Minister of Defense Damir Krstičević testified before the celebration of the ship's 85th anniversary.
Croatian media claimed the same.
True, even then the main subject of public dispute was not the ownership of the ship, but the participation of a Croatian singer in that celebration.
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After a break due to the celebration of 2018, the silence about the Adriatic continued until last week. Whether the new note of protest will be quickly forgotten will be seen after the main ceremony on the Transfiguration...
Be that as it may, the idea presented on Facebook by my friend from Ulica, from the era of Odupri se, Dejan Pejović, seems to me both transformative and righteous.
It is thoroughly and extensively explained, so only a few theses:
"The school ship Jadran should be renamed "Forgive us Dubrovnik". And take it and hand it over to the Croatian authorities in Dubrovnik on the anniversary of the crossing of the Montenegrin reservists across the border between Montenegro and Croatia.
On that occasion, one should not go into history, that is, doubt about the ownership of the ship, but simply hand it over for a gram of cheek, that is, catharsis...
Since these days is the anniversary of the Storm, I'm sure there will be comments "what should Croatia do to redeem its image". I think that is a question for Croatia, let it see what, if, how and when it will come up with the symbolism of catharsis. In the same way, let Serbia see to its own affairs.
I am only interested in what we can do to restore the irretrievably lost image of Montenegrins and Montenegro.
Montenegro, on the ruins of Dubrovnik and the suffering of people on both sides, lost its credit to dawn with the unity it nurtured in a collective sense.
The ship Jadran from the Kingdom of SHS is actually a minimal wealth compared to spiritual poverty, when even after more than 30 years you watch videos of cannons firing in the Old Town and we don't have court processes in Montenegro that have at least touched justice.
If someone thinks that this is courting Croatia for some points for the EU, I don't think so.
This is exclusively about the redemption of Montenegro, like the kneeling of German Chancellor Willy Brandt in Warsaw, after the Second World War.
Unquestioning delivery of the ship Jadran, renamed "Forgive us Dubrovnik", would be a collective kneeling of the official Montenegro and asking for real forgiveness."
PS President Jakov Milatović entrusted the mandate for the composition of the Government to PES leader Milojko Spajić. The rest of Montenegro is better luck the second time around!
Bonus video:
