Radulović: DPS is not a measure of Montenegro, DF is not a measure of Serbia, the two extremes must be reformed or politically weakened

Deputies will subsequently declare their opinion on the interpellation

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Đorđe Radulović, Photo: Screenshot
Đorđe Radulović, Photo: Screenshot
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.
Ažurirano: 10.12.2021. 16:32h

The representative of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Andrija Nikolić, said that the opposition submitted to the Parliament of Montenegro an interpellation about the Government's policy in the field of foreign affairs, because in the past year, "certain deformations" have occurred in Montenegrin foreign policy.

"That is why we are obliged to inform the public and examine the Government's policy in the field of foreign affairs," he said.

Nikolić stated that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Đorđe Radulović, stated upon taking office that he was "proud to be part of the first democratic government". Later, he says, he corrected that statement.

He points out that Radulović also corrected the statement on the expulsion of the Serbian ambassador Vladimir Božović, after initially calling the decision on the expulsion a "hasty act".

"The celebrated Podgorica Assembly in today's time, what Božović did, is nothing more than a call for the destruction of the state of Montenegro. "Later, you also corrected your statement about Božović, saying that he walked on a minefield," said Nikolić.

He said that after that Radulović launched a "hunt for ambassadors".

"We had a precedent - that the Government of a country characterizes its own ambassadors as people who harm its reputation. It's a shame..." added the DPS deputy.

Nikolic
Nikolicphoto: Printscreen

Nikolić said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP) sent instructions to the diplomatic and consular representatives of Montenegro on how they should report on the events of September 4 and 5 in Cetinje, that is, as he said, "about a par excellence internal political event".

"We characterized that event as a joint Russian-Serbian project that aimed to bring Montenegro to its knees, and that bare-handed citizens and, ultimately, the President of Montenegro (Milo Đukanović) would be accused of it. It is incomprehensible that the minister in the instruction denounces the president of his own country. You will not find a similar example in the world...", emphasized Nikolić.

At the end of his presentation, he said that the Government, in the end, still stood by the EU's key decisions, which was stated in the European Commission Report.

"But because of everything that has been done, our assessment is that the position of minister must be covered by more competent people," said Nikolić.

The deputy of the Democratic Front (DF), Dejan Đurović, said that the MFA did not create the necessary discontinuity from the previous government.

He criticized the MFA for accepting the decision to extend the sanctions against Russia.

"The situation in the budget, in terms of income from tourism, would be better if there were no sanctions against Russia," he believes.

Đurović went on to say that the issue of relations with Serbia, which, as he stated, are "at the lowest level" is also problematic.

"What is still the problem with the ambassador of Serbia and our ambassador in Serbia? What about the case of Svetozar Marović?” he asked.

Speaking about diplomatic appointments, Đurović said that he has nothing against career diplomats, but "that we are not America, Russia and China, that we send career diplomats to some countries where we want to create a reputation".

"We had as a candidate our colleague Budimir Aleksić, who was the best candidate for ambassador in Sarajevo. He did not pass..." he said.

Member of the Social Democrats (SD), Ivan Brajović, said that the foreign affairs sector is something that the state of Montenegro should be proud of.

"There have been no strategic mistakes in our foreign policy since the independence referendum (held in 2006) until today," he said.

Brajović believes that Minister Radulović is the most knowledgeable person in the government to cooperate with the President of the country in matters of foreign policy.

He reproaches the minister for "deviation from diplomatic manners" due to his attitude towards his colleagues.

"You invited all ambassadors to consultations in Montenegro. You kept most of them here without any contact for months. This is far from diplomatic practice...", said the SD deputy.

Brajović assessed that the current government should "fall" next week in the parliament.

"On Monday, we can all help each other, to vote no confidence in this Government, because it deserves it." "Ninety percent of the deputies in the Assembly do not support the Government," he pointed out.

Democrat MP, Tamara Vujović, said that there are no changes in the foreign policy course of Montenegro.

"The state has assumed all international obligations. Because of this, the minister suffered harsh criticism from part of the parliamentary majority. It is not easy in this environment, Minister Radulović, to find the right measure..." she said.

Vujović suggested to Radulović that in addressing the public, "use more the beauty of our language, and not use 'standing ovations', because our citizens will understand it better".

"For everything else, ministers - 'keep up the good work'," she said.

The MP asked Radulović to help register the Bokel Navy as an intangible cultural asset in the representative list of UNESCO.

She stated that the instructions that Radulović forwarded to the ambassadors represented "a factual and objective picture of the events in Cetinje, which was confirmed by the findings of the state authorities".

"The question is, how did that non-paper come to be interpreted by the whole of Montenegro? Who is that official who dared to take the tools of his work out of the house? This interpellation is unfounded. How can someone not see the log in their own eye, but see the speck in another's eye?", she asked.

Member of Parliament of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Draginja Vuksanović Stanković, assessed that Radulović made a "big mistake, a big omission and maybe leaving his jurisdiction".

"The minister did not give the right information to the diplomats, and that was confirmed by the decisions of the authorities who specifically dealt with this issue," she believes.

Vuksanović Stanković praised Radulović for, as she said, not succumbing to the demands of the majority of the parliamentary majority to break ties with Euro-Atlantic partners and enter into some other processes.

"However, all this is still an indicator of the unsustainability of this Government, which is guided by politics - good morning on all four sides. That is why it is clear that this government and the ministers must leave their positions," she said.

The representative of the Civil Movement (GP) URA, Miloš Konatar, said that the position of the Government, which, according to him, was dominantly created by the Minister and the MFA, "can serve for the pride of both the state and the Government".

milos konatar
photo: Screenshot/Youtube

"That's why one of the key parts of the agreement on the basis of which the Government was formed is maintaining the country's foreign policy course and respecting the country's international obligations. Whoever questions that, as far as we are concerned, cannot be our partner. If someone wants to change the foreign policy course - they can, but not with us", he said, adding that Minister Radulović "defended the red line of national interests".

"We will not support the interpellation, because we believe that in addition to the security sector, which we can be proud of, we have a minister at the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who maintains the correct foreign policy course, which leads Montenegro to a modern future, a European future and the fulfillment of the key political goal of our generation - membership in the EU Konatar pointed out.

Eraković: A depiction of the powerlessness of a government, which needs to step down because of that powerlessness

The MP of DPS, Jevto Eraković, assessed that the Government is "like a tower of sand, because its foundations rest on an abyss of hypocrisy".

"The non-paper episode is a paradigm of the work of this government. Before the official report, they established that the police in Cetinje acted professionally, and presented us and President Đukanović as extremists. According to the document, the demonstrators started fires, attacked the police with stones, and allegedly with a Molotov cocktail. Shootings were also reported. The question is what criteria were used to choose the embassies to which the non-paper was sent. This is a display of the powerlessness of a government, which should step down because of that powerlessness. That is why I call on the deputies to support the interpellation," he said. is he.

Demos MP Miodrag Lekić said that the opposition's interpellation is "legitimate" and that it should be "seriously read".

He said, among other things, that the state must create professional diplomacy that will respect the "coordinates of state policy, but also the culture of personal responsibility - so that some would not appear as an extended arm of the government or segments of the government."

Popović: One of the best ministers in the worst government in the history of Montenegro

MP of the Liberal Party (LP), Andrija Popović, said that Radulović is "one of the best ministers in the worst government in the history of Montenegro".

"Which, fortunately, will be impeached in the next few days. It is not good that, according to Article 110 of the Constitution of Montenegro, she will continue to perform her duties until a new one is elected. That will be a bigger problem than impeachment of the Government...", he stated. .

He asked Radulović on what basis and on whose order he drew up the instructions.

"Before the official report, you determined that the police acted professionally, and put all the blame on the representatives of the opposition and the citizens of Cetinje, presenting them as extremists. The document contains a number of incorrect statements - starting with the date of the gathering in Cetinje and the role of the actors of the government and the opposition - several falsified information about the behavior of state authorities and the reason for police intervention. With your instructions, you put diplomatic and consular representatives in the position of falsifiers of facts and produced significant consequences for the reputation of Montenegro and its representatives in partner countries. The head of the MFA cannot be a man who diplomatic service to the level of ground-level propaganda. That's why the Liberals are asking for your dismissal," Popović said.

Ivanovic: I hope that the report will be declassified

The representative of the Socialist People's Party (SNP), Dragan Ivanović, announced that he was the head of the commission that compiled the report on the events in Cetinje.

"It is long overdue, the Bureau for Operational Coordination has discussed it, but the National Security Council has not yet. I hope they will remove the secret mark from the report, so we will talk about it in more detail," he said.

Duković: With this act, you have called into question the reputation of the state

DPS MP, Halil Duković, assessed that the instructions of the MFA were an attempt to conceal the true picture of the events in Cetinje, an attempt to discredit the president of the state, and to mislead other countries and diplomatic representatives.

"With this act, you have called into question the reputation of the state", he believes.

Duković said that the current government is a government of charlatans, ignoramuses and political illiterates.

"This was not said by anyone from the opposition, but by those who elected you," Duković added.

Joković: With the black devil into the biggest pit and cave for the good of Montenegro

SNP deputy, Vladimir Joković, said that Radulović did nothing bad, nor anything good, to his party.

"We have nothing against you, we will vote against the interpellation. We support you to continue doing your job in the best possible way," he pointed out.

He criticized Radulović because some of the proposed ambassadors have not been appointed yet.

"It's very awkward to play with people's destinies like that," he added.

Joković said that the most important thing for his party is where Montenegro will be in 10-15 years.

"We see Montenegro in the EU in 15 years, as a happy, democratic and prosperous country. Mr. Minister, go that way," he said.

Joković said that in the SNP they do not want to live in trenches.

"Let's leave ours and theirs. Let's do something for Montenegro, to which everyone will come. I appeal to everyone to find the strength to make a step forward - small, but every great journey begins with a small step. I believe that Montenegro can move forward," he stressed. .

The leader of the SNP said that today he received dozens of calls because he was photographed in a conversation with DPS MP Nikola Janović.

"We talked about the Sports Law. I will go with the black devil to the biggest pit and cave for the good of Montenegro and talk. You all say what you want about this. I will walk through Rožaje with Mr. (Ervin) Ibrahimović, through Kotor with Mr. Janović, through Suzi with Mr. (Niko) Đeljošaj. I will look forward to the meeting in Plužine. Let this be a spark that can bear some fruit for the betterment of all of us," said Joković.

The MP of DPS, Nikola Janović, said that what the MFA did was "below all standards in a professional, moral and political sense".

"It will be remembered in the annals as a painful episode beneath all dignity," he added.

The Democrat MP, Dragan Krapović, said that Radulović has the support of his party.

"The interpellation has no foundation and should not result in the dismissal of the minister, but in support for him," he said.

Živković: Radulović made a non-paper in his estimation

The MP of the DPS, Predrag Sekulić, said that the non-paper MFA "does not correspond to the factual situation".

He believes that Radulović would not have sent the document to diplomatic representatives today.

His colleague from DPS, Danijel Živković, believes that Radulović created non-paper based on his own assessment.

"You put it together even though the state authorities have not yet precisely established the facts regarding the events in Cetinje. You then put the diplomats in an awkward position and then there is deception and the lowering of the reputation of Montenegro. You made that move instead of waiting for the assessments of the state authorities. The reaction is astonishing to send this. We will support the interpellation and ask for your dismissal, through a certain conclusion, from the Prime Minister," he said.

Bošković: The government falls with more than 41 votes

The MP of DPS, Predrag Bošković, said that the Government must "fall" on Monday.

"I believe it will fall, not with 41 votes, but with much more than 41 votes. It has long since lost the trust not only of the parliamentary opposition - which it did not even have - but also of a huge part of the parliamentary majority deputies, who gave the government legitimacy on December 4 last year," he announced.

Bošković said that September 5 "took the last straw of everything that happened continuously" when it comes to the MFA.

He blames Radulović for not reacting better when the members of parliament "were harassed by the state authorities of Serbia because they raised their hands to condemn the genocide in Srebrenica".

"You and MVP deserved a yellow card for that," he added.

He believes that the MFA should have reacted more seriously due to the reception of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić "in an inadequate arrangement", during his official visit to Belgrade.

Radulović: The two extremes must be reformed or politically weakened

Minister Radulović said that those "who have been systematically destroying it for 30 years" are accusing him of destroying the reputation of the state.

"You destroyed the elites by disrupting the system of values, which you turned upside down. You destroyed the reputation of Montenegro in a perfect multi-decade tango. You spoiled the youth - not Socratic - but imposed knowledge on them. Instead of a better life - flags, blood cells...", he said is he.

Speaking about the MFA's non-paper, Radulović said that his department could not be silent when there was a threat of war in Montenegro.

"The non-paper lists facts that are easily verifiable and repeated several times, mostly from one side. It is incorrect that the wounded citizens were not mentioned in it. After Cetinje, there are no losers. Everyone is a winner. Montenegro got a second chance," he added.

The minister further said that he is not spoiling relations with Serbia - which he respects for part of the government - but that he wants the best relations with that country.

"All initiatives and official meetings with Serbia were initiated by me. But it takes two to tango...", he notes.

Radulović, speaking about the parliamentary majority, said that "there is no way to agree on principles" with it.

"You rejected five career diplomats, with the argument that they work in the MFA. Where should a professional diplomat work?", he asks.

Radulović said that Montenegro is trapped "in a perfect storm, a perfect tango, an invisible coalition of two populisms".

"Just as the DPS is not a measure of Montenegrinism, the policies of the DF are not a measure of Serbia either. Neither are they pro-Montenegrin, nor are the others pro-Serbian. They are only extreme. If moderate, civil, emancipated, cultural and normal Montenegro wants to survive, two the extremes must be reformed or politically weakened. This is the only way we will have Montenegro for all of us. Regardless of the vote on interpellation and no confidence in the Government, I remain with a clear conscience and the best faith to be available to build a better Montenegro," Radulović said. .

Vuksanović Stanković: I'm sorry that the minister read a speech that someone had written for him in advance

SDP MP Vuksanović Stanković said in her closing speech that she was sorry that the minister "read a speech that someone had written for him in advance".

"Since you became a minister, you have done everything to destroy the international reputation of Montenegro. From what you did in Cetinje, to keeping silent on insulting the dignity of MPs, to what happened when the prime minister landed at the Belgrade airport," she concluded.

Deputies will subsequently declare their opinion on the interpellation.

The opposition accuses Minister Radulović of abusing his position and making incorrect statements in his instructions to Montenegrin ambassadors on how to inform the countries where they hold office about the events in Cetinje on September 4 and 5, related to the enthronement of Metropolitan Joaniki of Montenegro. The members of the opposition think that the parliament should remove the minister because he abused the diplomatic and consular representatives of Montenegro.

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