Diplomat of the Russian Federation Victor Antipinus accredited in Montenegro, he was declared persona non grata - undesirable, based on the assessment of the National Security Agency (ANB), "Vijesta" reported. The interlocutor of the newspaper claims that domestic security authorities, in cooperation with international partners, have collected enough material that indicates that the intelligence officer of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) acted contrary to diplomatic rules.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that decision yesterday, without mentioning the name of the Russian diplomat.
"A formal note on this decision, which specifies a 72-hour deadline for leaving the territory of our country, was delivered today to the ambassador of the Russian Federation. The reason for making this decision is the assessment of the relevant security authorities in Montenegro about the activities of the Russian diplomat, which are in contradiction with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations", the statement of the MFA reads.
The Russian Embassy in Podgorica did not answer the questions of "Vijesti" about the person who was expelled from Montenegro.
Coordinator of security services Dritan Abazovic he said at the end of February that the security sector monitors the influx of foreign factors, protecting the national interests of Montenegro, while the director of the ANB Dejan Vuksic then said that he could not talk about secret information with journalists. He neither confirmed nor denied the allegations about Bulajić's meetings with Russian intelligence officers.
"Vijesti" announced that ANB recorded two meetings of the Speaker of the Assembly Strahinje Bulajić (Democratic Front) with Russian SVR intelligence officers Viktor Antipin and Alexander Perišov.
At the time, Bulajić stated in an official statement that he was the target of a media harangue because of his refusal to schedule a session of the Assembly, and that due to the nature of his work, he had spoken with a number of diplomats - including a Russian one. "Of all those meetings, the only one that attracted attention was the meeting with the diplomatic representative of the Russian Federation, in broad daylight, in a bar where dozens of guests were present," he stated at the time.
Head of the Parliamentary Club of the Democratic Front (DF) Slaven Radunović was asked if the expelled Russian diplomat had any connection with the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Strahinja Bulajić, he said that he had no information about the person in question, since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not specify the identity in today's statement.
"Even if she was with Bulajlić, there is nothing controversial about that. This is not about that person, but about creating alleged problems for Bulajić. And if that or some other person was expelled just so that someone who at this moment is looking for a place in the new government would ingratiate himself with foreign embassies and Abazović, the move is shameful. There is absolutely no need to expel any diplomatic representatives of any country. If there is, it should be documented in some way", Radunović said at the press conference after the Collegium of the President of the Assembly.
Josipović: Stability threatened due to ties with Russian politics
Former Croatian president Ivo Josipović believes that stability in the region is threatened both because of the connection of certain countries or political options with current Russian policy, and because of the fact that there are serious internal dilemmas and conflicts in certain countries.
"You also have your own problems, which I hope you will clear up one way or another, not to mention BiH. In both countries, there are political options close to the Russian leadership. My thesis has always been that we are NATO, but we are not necessarily the enemy of the Russians, let's try to build good relations. Unfortunately, the situation is now such that there is almost no compromise and we don't know where it will all go," Josipović said at a lecture in Podgorica organized by the Association of Lawyers and the Faculty of Law.
He reminded that every country in the region has its own problems and that the prevailing belief is that EU membership could help ease tensions.
"I think that perhaps only in your country in Montenegro is it possible for circumstances to speed up the story. Maybe. What is clear from EU policy is that it will not accept countries that have not fully met the requirements. Especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they have illusions that the EU will accept them and that it will solve their internal problems. They won't. I am convinced that the EU will not make that kind of compromise until the internal problems are solved. The EU is cautious because when it comes to some countries, they got burned, at least when it comes to corruption. When it comes to Serbia, if Vučić and the ruling group do not change their attitude towards Ukaija, I think that they could permanently have problems with joining the EU", said Josipović.
Two days ago, Abazović told Vijesti Television that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia could spill over into smaller countries: "...In order for a big conflict to have its full meaning, big countries have the ability to light small fires in other places. I am not saying that this is a threat to Montenegro, but if there are countries that are targets, they are only three countries - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. I think that Montenegro and S. Macedonia are extremely important because they are members of NATO. We can use the global situation to our advantage. Now is the moment to look for a fast-track for Montenegro and revive the EU enlargement system," he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not explain why the Russian diplomat was expelled, or whether it has anything to do with the current crisis in Ukraine.
Lekić: The work of political brokers should not be underestimated
Demos MP and former diplomat Miodrag Lekić does not expect that the situation in Ukraine will cause instability in Montenegro.
"I don't expect it, and everything decisive depends on us in the country. In other words, it depends on whether the seriousness of political forces will prevail in the face of considerable challenges. I think that the moment requires the ability to have a serious dialogue and agreement based on a broader consensus," said Lekić to "Vijesta".
However, as he added, one should not underestimate the activity of political brokers, as a rule from corruption circles, who allegedly and self-proclaimed have the so-called international support.
"They are interested in continuing and deepening Montenegrin divisions, which is probably the dirtiest, most immoral, and certainly disastrous policy for Montenegro," Lekić said.
Srzentić maintains that the distribution of Russia Today and Sputnik should be suspended
The Government of Montenegro did not make a decision on suspending the distribution of Russian media Russia Today and Sputnik, because the proposal of the Ministry of Public Administration, Digital Society and Media was withdrawn from the agenda of the session on Thursday after it was estimated that it would not have the necessary majority for adoption.
The Ministry will not give up on such a request because it supports the decision of the European Union, which established such a position a few days ago because, in its opinion, these media encourage support for Russian aggression against Ukraine, "Vijesti" has learned.
Minister Tamara Srzentić said two days ago that she strongly supports the decision of the EU, stating that disinformation and propaganda that tries to justify the attack on Ukraine must not be allowed to spread in Montenegro.
"We consulted with the regulatory bodies and informed them about the EU decision. In this regard, at today's session of the Government, I will propose the adoption of the conclusion on the accession of Montenegro to this EU decision and recommendations to the Agency for Electronic Media (AEM) and the Agency for Electronic Media and Postal Services (EKIP) to, in accordance with their competences, make decisions in accordance with position of the Government and Council of the EU", said Srzentić on Thursday.
Closed airspace for Russian aircraft
Montenegro has closed its airspace to all Russian planes. That decision was made by the Civil Aviation Agency, at the proposal of the Ministry of Capital Investments (MKI), it was announced to "Vijesta" from the Ministry of Capital Investments.
From the Ministry of Interior, they explained that due to the covid measures of the Russian Federation, regular and charter air traffic was not allowed even the previous year.
With this decision, Montenegro joined the member states of the European Union that closed the airspace to air traffic with Russia on February 27, in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
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