Diplomats of the Republic of Croatia in Montenegro were once again active in the pre-election campaign of one of the two national parties, although their behavior could be interpreted as a violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic missions.
Consulate General of Croatia in Kotor Jasminka Lončarević on Sunday, she attended a promotional meeting organized by the Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI) on the Pine waterfront in Tivat. Together with the president of that party and the holder of the election list for the upcoming local elections on October 23 in Tivat Adrian Vuksanović, members and sympathizers of that party, the consul took a photo at the HGI stand, from which propaganda material and the election program were distributed to the targets, and spoke to the crowd.
HGI bragged on social networks about the photos in which, among others, the Croatian diplomat poses at their stand. Neither the Consul General Jasminka Lončarević, nor the Croatian ambassador in Montenegro Veselko Grubišić, did not answer the questions that "Vijesti" addressed to them on this occasion.
They did not explain what the consul general was doing at the pre-election promotional meeting of one of the parties participating in the local elections in Tivat, and whether this can be considered a violation of Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, in terms of the illegal interference of a foreign diplomat in the internal affairs of the country. hosts because parliamentary and local elections are certainly an internal matter of the country where these diplomats are accredited.
Diplomats of the Republic of Croatia serving in Montenegro have been applying similar activities of participating and giving speeches at HGI pre-election gatherings for years - from former ambassadors Petar Turčinović i Ivan Sutli-Perić to current Veselko Grubišić, and former consul Hrvoj Vuković and current consul Jasminka Lončarević.
"Vijesti" did not receive answers to the questions about Lončarević's participation in the HGI pre-election rally on Sunday in Tivat, even from the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia. Lorka Šimičević. We did not receive answers to the questions that we sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro regarding the internal political activities of Consul Lončarević in Montenegro, even from the department headed by the minister Ranko Krivokapic (SDP).
The MFA did not respond to our interest in communicating its findings about Lončarević's work at the HGI pre-election promotional rally in Tivat, whether her behavior can be considered a violation of the provisions of the Vienna Convention, and if so, what the MFA has done so far on this occasion undertaken or will undertake, especially bearing in mind the earlier urgent and decisive reactions of the department headed by Krivokapić when some similar earlier behaviors and appearances by diplomats of some other foreign countries were in question.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he headed at the time Srdjan Darmanovic is the ambassador of Serbia in Montenegro in 2020 Vladimir Božović because of his statements related to the Podgorica Assembly, the unification of Montenegro and Serbia in 1918 was declared persona non grata, after which the MFA under the leadership of Krivokapić, when Božović continued to appear at various public events in Montenegro, a few months ago repeatedly requested that the ambassador away, and then that he was banned from entering Montenegro.
"Without affecting their privileges and immunities, all persons who enjoy (diplomatic) privileges and immunities are obliged to respect the laws and regulations of the country where they are accredited. They are also obliged not to interfere in the internal affairs of that state", reads Article 41 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which is the international basis for the way of functioning, rights, privileges and obligations of diplomatic personnel.
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