Professor of the University of Belgrade and former State Secretary in the Government of Serbia, Ivan Videnović, said that certain media and politicians in Serbia use every opportunity to sow mistrust and that this time the announcement by the Government of Montenegro that due to epidemiological reasons the border between the two countries will not be be opened immediately.
"Like when there is a crisis in the closest family, there are too many accumulated negative emotions, and the positive ones are forgotten. The media and some politicians from the Government of Serbia and the opposition use every, often false, opportunity to sow a new inter-ethnic psychosis among the citizens of Serbia. The singling out of Serbs from Serbia and RS as the only ones who are not allowed to enter Montenegro is particularly malignant. It is positive that the president of Serbia is not taking part in this chase for now, so I expect that in a few days, as he has done many times before, he will present himself as a voice of reason and calmness", said the professor to "Vijesta".
The announcement by the Government of Montenegro that Serbia will not be on the list of countries with which the border will be opened first because there is still a large number of people suffering from the corona virus, caused sharp political reactions in Serbia and part of the local public. Belgrade government officials claim that it is a political decision, while analysts in that country and part of the opposition in Montenegro say that it is a function of internal political events, as both countries are expecting elections.
Videnović states that the epidemiological criteria adopted by the Government of Montenegro and which left the borders closed for citizens of Italy, USA, Russia, Germany, France and many other countries that have important relations with Montenegro are clear. "Perhaps it was wise in this heated situation of ours to immediately point out in one sentence that it is eagerly expected that Serbia will soon meet the criteria for opening the border. Prime Minister Marković subsequently pointed out this, when tensions were already raised on this side regarding the alleged threat and segregation", he states.
The professor says that these events may be in spite of Podgorica because of Belgrade's interference in connection with the Law on Freedom of Religion.
"We are not different from each other. SPC is the subject of this Law, so its interference in that matter is understandable. But I cannot understand the positions of the top of the SPC in Belgrade, which would rather be a minority church in Montenegro, instead of working in every way on its role as a unified church of Montenegrins and Serbs. Instead of preserving the monopoly in Belgrade, the help of the top of the SPC in restoring the autocephaly of the Archdiocese of Cetinje - the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral would be beneficial for all our people in Montenegro. I cannot see the Serbs and Montenegrins in any other way than as all our people", explains the interlocutor.
Commenting on the statements of DPS officials and pro-government media in Podgorica that Serbia wants to annul the statehood of Montenegro, Videnović said: "I don't see that the annulment of Montenegrin statehood is on the agenda of official Serbia. But it is present in substructures, deep state, organizations, media, as well as in branches of foreign interests in Serbia. After Montenegro's entry into NATO, they see this property dispute over the SOC as the last chance to threaten Montenegro's stability, statehood, independence and independent path to Euro-Atlantic integration".
Brnabić: Marković has nothing to explain to me, everything is clear to me
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that Montenegro's decision to open its borders to citizens of several countries, but not to Serbia, is wrong and represents "a classic case when politics obscures economic interest and what is good for your economy and citizens." "That decision of theirs was driven by political motives, and as for Prime Minister Marković's message that I could have called him to clarify that decision, there is nothing for anyone to explain to me, everything is perfectly clear to me," she said. The Prime Minister said two days ago that Brnabić could have invited him if she was not clear about the Government's position, which he said was not political.
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