The best friends of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and Minister of Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanović, who have no connection with diplomacy, were proposed as ambassadors of Montenegro in some countries, said the country's president, Jakov Milatović.
He told journalists, after the conference organized by the Center for Civic Education (CEO), that he thought it was over with such appointments in Montenegro, but apparently it was not.
"Some of the best friends of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs without any connection with diplomacy were proposals for ambassadors," said Milatović.
He pointed out that he hopes that in the next step the Government will approach the process much more responsibly.
When asked who these friends of Spajić and Ivanović are, Milatović said that the Government should be asked who are the proposals for ambassadors in Berlin and Madrid.
He said that they sent five names to the Parliamentary Committee for International Relations for an opinion.
"After the discussion at the Board, I will make an additional decision," said Milatović.
As he said, they received a total of eight proposals, two of which they returned to the Government.
Asked about which proposals for ambassadors the Board will discuss, Milatović said that it is about ambassadors to Hungary, the OSCE, Switzerland, Slovenia and North Macedonia.
He pointed out that he was disappointed with the way the Government approached the appointment of the ambassador.
"The names that came, the 16 names that came to me in the first round of political consultations, were not up to the expected level," Milatović reminded.
He said that neither Spajić nor Ivanović spoke with those persons first, which, according to Milatović, showed irresponsibility towards the process and towards the diplomatic network and the people who should represent Montenegro.
"I was the only institution in the country that talked to the candidates, and in those talks I noticed a lot of illogicality, some candidates had dual citizenships," added Milatović.
He stated that some of the candidates were not in the background of the state foreign policy of Montenegro.
"I was very surprised that the proposal for the ambassador in Moscow was a person who is not in the background of the foreign policy of Montenegro," said Milatović.
When asked to comment on the decision on the Thirteenth of July Award, he said that he was not informed about it in detail.
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