The behavior of certain ambassadors of Montenegro, their shenanigans and ignoring orders, as well as the fact that dozens of them stay at consultations for more than a month, harms the reputation of the country, the interlocutors of "Vijesti" assessed.
They add that the changing of the lock on the embassy door, as well as other "diplomatic" shenanigans, gives an unreal note, devoid of the diplomatic practice seen so far.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP) recalled eight ambassadors, who were denied access to embassies on February 16. Also, their financing stopped and it was specified that they can use the apartments until the notice period.
After that, the recalled Montenegrin ambassador to the Vatican, Miodrag Vlahović, replaced the lock on the embassy door, and his colleague in China, Darko Pajović, has not yet returned the seal and payment card. After Pajović denied the claims of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calling them primitive and announcing a lawsuit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that they had proof of what they had said.
The other ambassadors were returned to Montenegro for consultations.
A foreign policy analyst who has been in diplomacy for a long time, and wished to remain anonymous, told "Vijesti" that states usually change ambassadors gradually, so as not to jeopardize the work of the network.
"When you work according to the rules, you show that you are different from those who did not work according to the rules. When you work willingly, then you are no different. Only when you see this context, you can also think about locks, seals and disobedience of diplomats", he said.
The president of the Civic Alliance (GA) Boris Raonic states that now around 30 diplomats are sitting without any information regarding consultations, information for partners in the host country regarding future activities, and there is no opportunity even regarding their professional engagement.
"There are too many inadequate appointments, but this is not a good way and it sends a bad image abroad," Raonic told "Vijesta".
The parliamentary Committee for International Relations and Emigrants discussed the situation in diplomacy on Friday.
Democratic Front MP Slaven Radunović said that the behavior of certain ambassadors indicates "what kind of country we lived in, who was the ambassador of this country and how they perceive their service".
"No ambassador of a much more serious country with greater diplomatic practice and tradition has ever done what the Montenegrin ambassadors are doing who want to show loyalty to the former head of the regime. This is a true proof of the level of democracy and awareness we are at," Radunović said at the session.
Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović said that because of the "burden" that the state can suffer, the case was not reported to authorities in other states.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not answer the questions of "Vijesti" about how the recalled ambassadors Vlahović and Pajović will answer for the actions after the recall.
In addition to Pajović and Vlahović, the government previously proposed recalling the ambassadors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Obrad Stanišić, Italy's Sanja Vlahović, Germany's Vera Kuliš, Serbia's Tarzan Milošević, the United Arab Emirates' Dušanka Jeknić, and Poland's Budimir Šegrt.
The foreign policy analyst believes that this topic has been politicized to such an extent that "you can't see the forest for the trees".
"No country in the world calls its ambassadors for consultations and keeps them at home indefinitely. With small states, whose network is small and vulnerable, this is particularly disastrous for diplomacy as a whole. It's like shooting your foot because of a blister on the sole of your foot,” he said.
Raonic notes that the practice is to hold consultations months in advance at a time known in advance, sometimes during New Year's holidays or summer vacation, when there are fewer diplomatic activities.
"The topics are known in advance, as is the date," said Raonic.
He pointed out that such diplomatic issues are not currently decided by experts in the Government, although they should be.
"If we already have the concept of an expert government, then those who are experts in this matter, in the form of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister, would have to give a decisive opinion on these matters, and not let those who know very little about it decide," said Raonic.
He added that the Government is making a strategic mistake, because it started changes in foreign policy with revolutionary methods.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Đorđe Radulović pointed out at the sessions of the Committee for International Relations and Emigrants that he saw nothing objectionable in the fact that the ambassadors were invited for consultations.
He stated that the last consultations in Montenegro were in 2016, and before that they were held every two years.
Proposed impeachment of Dinoša and Eraković
The government proposed to recall the ambassadors to Kosovo and Spain, Ferhat Dinoša and Aleksandar Eraković.
Dinoša was recalled due to the acquisition of pension conditions, and Eraković at his personal request. Dinoša has been in that position since September 16, 2016, and by the decision of February 12, 2021, it was decided that due to the fact that he has reached the age of 67 and has at least 15 years of insurance, his employment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be terminated by force of law on the 13th. February 2021.
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