The Parliamentary Committee for International Relations and Emigrants gave a positive opinion on the Government's proposal to appoint Jovan Mirković as the ambassador of Montenegro to the United States of America (USA).
The agenda was supplemented by a proposal for a Resolution on the condemnation of Israel's crimes in Palestine submitted by Social Democrat (SD) MP Nikola Zirojević, an initiative to form a friendship group between the Parliament of Montenegro and the Parliament of Japan, and an amendment to the rulebook on the friendship working groups of the Parliament and a proposal by the head of the parliament
Mirković, at the beginning of his presentation, said that he had attended training in Zagreb, Moscow, Copenhagen and Šćećin, and that he received his doctorate in physics in Moscow.
He pointed out that he was Montenegro's ambassador to Japan in the period from 2014 to 2018, but also presented a brief history of the relationship between Montenegro and the USA.
"Montenegro must choose a path of development based on knowledge, and for that, more intensive international cooperation is needed in the fields of technology, innovation, green policies, science and education," said Mirković.
Zirojević announced his support for Mirković's candidacy and asked what is happening with the candidacy of Stanica Andjić for the post of ambassador to Austria.
Member of the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) Slaven Radunović said that Montenegro got a real diplomat because "he was accepted both in Đukanović's regime and in this new one".
Aleksandra Vuković Kuč from the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) asked Mirković how he views the current American foreign policy towards the region and what he thinks about the fact that Montenegro should have lobbyists in addition to the ambassador to the USA.
Answering her questions, Mirković pointed out that the USA wants to stabilize the Western Balkans and for that region to be part of the European Union (EU) as soon as possible.
"What we have noticed is that China has had exceptional economic growth and has grown into a major rival on the global economic scene," he said.
Mirković added that he would suggest to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider the possibility of Montenegrin citizens who have gained a good reputation and who have the will to help be honorary consuls or non-resident ambassadors, without being employed by the ministry.
"Today, diplomacy is more and more in the sphere of soft power. You cannot rely only on professionals. The influence through culture and entertainment is increasing," he said.
Vuković Kuč said that her party, although until now had the principle of supporting only career diplomats, this time will break that rule and vote for Mirković.
Member of Novska lista (NL), which is in a coalition with the Evropa Sad Movement (PES), Jovan Subotić said that the Committee for European Integration indicated that the diplomatic network of Montenegro is weak and needs to be strengthened, but that Andjić's proposal did not reach them. , and to join the appeal.
Chairman Duško Stjepović from Demokrat pointed out that the approval sessions were scheduled very soon after the proposals arrived.
Discussion at the Committee
Zirojević, explaining his proposal, indicated that it was submitted by the Movement of Solidarity with Palestine after they collected the necessary 6.000 signatures through a petition on the parliament's website.
"This resolution in no way speaks of supporting Hamas' war in Palestine, nor does it justify the terrorist act that took place on October 7 last year, during which over 1.000 Israeli citizens were killed," said the SD representative.
He added that the proposal was submitted four months ago, and that since then "6.000 more have been killed, almost 2.000 dead Palestinian children, over 1.000 women, about 500 members of the medical staff, about 150 journalists...".
"For me, this is not a political issue, but a humanitarian issue," he said.
PES MP Seid Hadžić pointed out that 70 percent of those killed in Palestine are women and children, and that "60 women are killed every day, of which 40 are mothers."
Adnan Adrović from the Bosnian party said that "no one justifies what Hamas did on October 7, but the measures taken by the regime in Israel afterwards are without any comment."
"I hope that in the future humanity will give its verdict on this," he pointed out and added that the resolution is the only thing they can do to condemn it, but he also hopes that it will be the beginning of something that "will contribute to stopping the atrocities we witness every day".
Radunović said that the Palestinians in Gaza live in a ghetto and that, unlike other conflicts, they cannot escape. However, he added that such resolutions "are not adopted during the conflict itself, because it represents siding with one side".
"Such resolutions provoke a little bit more those who are in a position of power. I think that in this case, as well as in the case of Ukraine, those people who pass such resolutions and deplore the Palestinians, obviously do not deplore the Ukrainians in the same way, but do not allow negotiations to start and For this reason, I think it is politically unwise to participate in an ongoing war without having all the information. We have seen what happened with the resolutions on Srebrenica and Jasenovac. One concerns events from 30 years ago, and the other from more than 70 years ago, so it's not easy to find a common language. It's very complicated and I don't know if Montenegro is in a position to get involved in all of this, even though it has different dimensions when it comes to different situations in the world, I think we should devote ourselves more to initiatives to end the war," said the NSD deputy.
He said that the end of the war should be initiated by the Western partners in NATO, above all the USA, "because only they can stop it" and added that he would abstain during this vote.
According to him, Montenegro can have influence "where Montenegro has an equal seat with all the others, and the resolution will not bring anything".
Zirojević replied that the resolution states that "the Assembly of Montenegro appeals to the authorities of Israel to stop the military operations as soon as possible", and that the Montenegrin parliament calls on "the UN, OSCE and other relevant institutions, especially EU and NATO member states, to use all possible diplomatic and political means in order to deter Israel from further continuation of aggressive actions", but also to "call on the Government and all political subjects to unequivocally condemn the act of aggression, the consequences of which can be incalculable for world peace and security".
"If your position is the result of gratitude to the president of the Jewish community in Montenegro for supporting the Resolution on the genocide in Jasenovac, I completely understand," said Zirojević.
Radunović replied that he did not want to be hypocritical by allegedly voting on something in the parliament, and that it would go "into some cupboard and Montenegro would do nothing".
Vuković Kuč said that "we entered the inflation of resolutions" because there are a large number of events that should be the subject of resolutions, but in that way the parliament would lose its function.
"The position of the DPS deputies' club is that, in principle, we act according to what is the UN's legacy. We will support any text that is agreed upon by the UN and the most democratically developed societies, as was the case with the text of the Resolution on Srebrenica. This resolution is not controversial, and the intention is definitely even less controversial, especially since it is the product of the signatures of a large number of citizens of Montenegro. ", said the MP from the DPS to Zirojević.
The deputy of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) announced that her party will vote for that resolution, but that some amendment action is needed.
Subotić added that "it is time for Montenegro to define itself as a country that will make it clear that it will support any initiative that is focused on victims and conflict prevention."
Zirojević pointed out that he only put into the procedure what is the initiative of the Movement of Solidarity with Palestine, and that it is desirable that an integral part of the text of the resolution should include the condemnation of the Hamas attack, because that would avoid "anyone putting us on any side".
"To me, every victim is the same. I don't separate Palestinian from Israeli," he said.
With the votes of seven deputies in favor and three abstentions, the proposal of the Resolution received the necessary majority.
The initiative to form a friendship group of the parliaments of Montenegro and Japan, as well as the proposal to change the rulebook on the establishment and work of friendship groups of the Parliament, were adopted unanimously.
The item of the rulebook that is being changed is the limit on the number of members of the group itself.
Bonus video:
