There is still no indication of when the Montenegrin diplomatic network will be filled, given that the consultations regarding the appointment of the missing ambassadors between the Government - the Parliament - the President of the State have not yet begun.
According to data provided to "Vijesti" in August, Montenegro currently has ambassadors at only eleven addresses in the world, while chargé d'affaires represent it at twenty-two.
From the Cabinet of the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, it was announced to "Vijesti" that twenty days ago he initiated the need for consultations on foreign policy, including the election of ambassadors, but that "unfortunately, they have not yet taken place".
The Constitution provides that the President appoints and recalls ambassadors on the proposal of the Government, and with the opinion of the competent parliamentary committee - for international relations and emigrants.
"The President represents Montenegro in the country and abroad," the Constitution states.
"Vijesti" learned that Milatović initiated consultations with the prime minister Milojko Spajić, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of foreign affairs Aleks Bečić and Minister of Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanovic, but that the meeting has not yet been scheduled.
"It is very important that the consultations take place due to the creation of a strategy regarding our election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council from 2026, which would be the crown of our diplomatic representation," Milatović's office announced.
The president's office notes that it is also important for the president to discuss everything related to the European Union with representatives of the government, that is, everything related to the acceleration of the Montenegrin EU agenda.
"Of course, there are other foreign policy matters, including the filling of our ambassador network. Also, the president of Montenegro is organizing the Brdo-Brioni process next year, and efforts are being made to get Montenegro to organize the summit of the European political community," Milatović's office announced.
A source from the top of the government told "Vijesti" that "foreign policy is led by the government and that the president has only a protocol role and representation of Montenegro".
"No one has mentioned the choice of ambassador so far. Ambassadors are proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when proposed, we will hold consultations to present and clarify doubts if there are any", said the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
Spajić is the president of the Europe Movement now, and Milatović is his deputy, and their relationship has been damaged since the presidential election, since which they rarely communicate...
THE PROPOSALS DID NOT REACH THE BOARD
Chairman of the Committee for International Relations and Emigrants Dusko Stjepović answered the question whether the Committee had received any proposals for ambassador positions, said that after the recent assumption of office as the president of that working body, he asked the Committee's expert service for information on the acts that are in the procedure and the most current topics that would be necessary as soon as possible deadline to be considered at the Board session.
"Regarding your specific interest, I am informed that currently there are no proposals in the Committee's procedure for the appointment of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors of Montenegro abroad," Stjepović said.
Answering the question of when he expects the diplomatic network to be filled and how bad it is that the country does not have ambassadors in key countries, Stjepović said that he is convinced that after a detailed review of the situation and a cross-section, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Government will come up with their proposals for positions of resident ambassadors, and that the Board will soon be able to consider the first proposals for appointing ambassadors at its session.
Stjepović emphasized that the process of appointing ambassadors implies involvement, joint action in selecting the best candidates and an agreement between the Government, the Parliament of Montenegro and the President of the State through the format of foreign policy consultations.
"I am convinced that there will soon be a meeting on this topic, and that the evident stabilization of political conditions in our country will result in a quick agreement on filling the vacant ambassador positions," Stjepović pointed out.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to the newspaper's questions regarding the proposals on the appointment of ambassadors.
Former diplomat and president of Demos Miodrag Lekić said that it will be important that the completion of the diplomatic network coincides with the building of a serious state in terms of value and functionality, because the country's international reputation primarily depends on it.
"In order for the diplomatic network to be at the required level, it is also necessary to constitute a serious foreign policy, which in the previous political and institutional confusion, with some inadequate personnel for conducting public foreign policy, conspicuously and humiliatingly reduced to a demonstration of servility. Even treating it, on the media and propaganda level, as an individual or party success", said Lekić.
He pointed out that this is how the inferiority of the Montenegrin state was reached, "unprecedented in its history, that in the formation of governments in Montenegro, by all accounts, the decisive factors were the representatives or services of other states".
"So, for the fundamental consolidation of Montenegrin diplomacy, firstly, a serious state is needed, secondly, a competent foreign policy that fights for Montenegrin interests and respects international rules, and thirdly, an adequate selection of professional staff, ambassadors and other diplomats to work in diplomatic missions", he assessed. is Lekic.
Duško Stjepović emphasized that after the obvious challenges brought by the period of cohabitation between the former president, the 42nd Government and the parliamentary majority, which continued during the previous Government's tenure, it is definitely one of the inherited, burning issues that require a quick reaction from the current Government and the one concerning the appointment of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassadors of Montenegro abroad.
LEKIĆ: I guess IT'S DIFFERENT NOW
Answering the question of what if now, as well as during the presidential term Milo Đukanović, there will be problems in the relationship between the head of state and the government, and what if this again blocks the appointment of the ambassador, Lekić said that he is not a party in the system of the new government, he does not know how it works from the inside, and that is why he would not engage in forecasts about how will it function in the future. Đukanović only signed the appointments of career ambassadors, but not those connected to the parties that came to power in 2020. He also first refused, and then signed decrees on the recall of eight Montenegrin ambassadors in 2021.
Lekić, however, is convinced that parallels with the previous period are not possible.
"It is true that Đukanović did not intend to jointly build the state interest in cohabitation, but to destroy all state institutions led by the new government. And then to win the presidential elections. Thus, Đukanović, although with far less constitutional powers, succeeded in this, he even overthrew the 42nd government, then participated in the drafting of the 43rd, and then overthrew it as well, then turning against the parliament".
Lekić said that the previous president of the state with the political parties he controlled would not have been able to achieve any of this if "there was no inferior state leadership, the so-called the new government, and as will quickly be ascertained, frivolities and fraudsters in the parliamentary majority".
"I guess the situation is different now," said Lekic.
He emphasized that the qualitative difference today is also in the fact that the country has a president who was legitimately elected and with many differences compared to the previous one:
"Let's say, the current president of the country is not an economic entrepreneur, a user of tax havens, nor is there an investigation against him for the first million and other dark affairs".
Lekić pointed out that the current president has made significant international strides in a short time through meetings at the bilateral level.
"That is why its constructive function is expected in the further functioning of state institutions," Lekić pointed out.
He emphasized that it remains to be seen the functioning of government institutions in this matter, which have the most competence, bearing in mind that according to the Constitution, the government conducts domestic and foreign policy.
"In addition to achieving certain results, certainly smaller than expected, the new government, which, if I am not mistaken, is still politically based on the reform aspirations of the victory on August 30, 2020, is undergoing a new remedial exam. It remains to be seen how everything will go," said Lekić.
AMBASSADORS IN SEVEN COUNTRIES
According to data previously published by "Vijesti", Montenegro has ambassadors in only seven countries: Belgium, Greece, Italy, North Macedonia, Russia, Turkey and France, and in four missions to the EU, UN and other international organizations (Geneva). OSCE and the Council of Europe. In August, the ambassador in the Permanent Mission to NATO was recalled due to the expiration of her mandate.
When it comes to chargé d'affaires, they represent Montenegro in some of the most important global political and financial centers, such as Washington, Beijing, London, Berlin and Abu Dhabi, and are also found in almost the entire environment: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo and Slovenia.
At the plenipotentiary level, the country is also represented in Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Spain, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Argentina, the Sovereign Order of the Knights of Malta, and the Permanent Mission to the UN (New York).
In addition to ambassadors and chargé d'affaires, Montenegro also has three consuls-general abroad, in Frankfurt, Sremski Karlovci and Istanbul, and one consul-general - in New York.
Stjepović: It is worrying that we only have 11 ambassadors
Stjepović assessed that it is a worrying fact, for which, as he said, the current ruling majority is not and cannot be responsible, that Montenegro currently has only 11 appointed ambassadors, and that there are twice as many vacant ambassadorial positions.
"Among the vacant positions are those in Washington, New York, London, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, but also in the closest neighborhood, in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Tirana, Zagreb and Ljubljana, which makes the whole situation even more challenging. The fact that Montenegro does not have its highest diplomatic representatives at such important addresses must have had a negative impact on the overall results of the work of the previous two governments," Stjepović pointed out.
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