We have already started the procedures for vacant diplomatic positions that will be filled with career diplomats, mostly with high diplomatic titles, ready to answer all tasks and present our country in the best way in the world, announced the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and the leader of the Bosniak Party (BS). Ervin Ibrahimovic.
He said this in the Parliament of Montenegro in response to the question of the president of the parliamentary club of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Andrija Nikolić - why Montenegro does not have an ambassador to NATO.
"As you know, the appointment of heads of diplomatic and consular missions (DKP) requires coordination and agreement between the Government, the Assembly and the President in order for the prescribed procedure to result in a positive outcome. As someone who has been in the political life of Montenegro for a long time, and especially as line minister from July 2024, I fully understand the importance of filling vacant positions in our diplomatic-consular network," Ibrahimović pointed out.
He added that he does not mean only the positions of DKP chiefs.
"In this regard, we have already started the procedures for vacant diplomatic positions that will be filled with career diplomats, mostly with high diplomatic titles, ready to answer all tasks and present our country in the most colorful way in the world. Regarding the specific position of ambassador to NATO, I inform you that consultations at the level of the Government of Montenegro are still ongoing, in order to choose the best possible candidate, according to whose references none of the decision-makers can have reservations", said Ibrahimović and added that the mission will soon get an ambassador.
Ibrahimović said that they could not have reacted faster, and that as a member of parliament he and his party made a great contribution to Montenegro's entry into NATO.
Nikolić pointed out that the government in Montenegro is deprived of any authority, and that because of its incompetence, the citizens feel unsafe.
"The fact that organized crime dared to organize liquidation at the busiest intersection, which had to be followed by serious organization and logistics, bearing in mind that the killers came from the direction of Cetinje, that someone had to monitor those who were the target, that those people moved away from that place to another location, which again had to be monitored by someone from logistics who should report whether there are police there or not to the place where the vehicle was set on fire. I think that should turn on every light, as well as the fact that In the north, we have a man who committed a double murder, because of which citizens cannot live peacefully and peacefully for fear of whether he will appear at their door," Nikolić pointed out.
After asking the question why Montenegro does not have an ambassador to NATO, he added that it is about "a system of merged courts that speaks of non-synchronization within state policy and a lack of communication and goodwill".
"Especially if you bear in mind that at one time the special envoy of the USA, Gabriel Escobar, said that corrections were being made with Montenegro in the form of information and that not all information was shared with the NATO ally. You will remember that some people were kicked out of the system for were suspected of being Russian spies," said Nikolić.
He reminded that not all members of the Government voted for the extension of sanctions against Russia.
Nikolić pointed out that the insistence on resignations is not for the sake of resignations and recalled the resignations of former Minister of Health Miodrag Radunović after the Bjelopolje babies case, former Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavel Radulović after the arrest of an inspector in Budva and former Minister of Transport Andrija Lompar after the train accident in Bioč.
"That is one aspect of the story. What should guide us is the general interest in the public good and security," he said, adding that not everything depends on Ibrahimovic.
Nikolić announced that Montenegro does not have 24 representatives in the DKP and asked the minister how many were filled.
Ibrahimović pointed out that Montenegro is going in the right direction, and that he stayed in Strasbourg, where he received praise from the highest addresses.
"At the moment we have 14 heads of DKP (eight ambassadors, three permanent representatives, one head of mission and two consuls general), and we don't have 24 heads of DKP (20 ambassadors, two permanent representatives and two consuls general)," said Ibrahimović.
He announced that it is necessary to reach an agreement on the filling of ambassadorial positions in: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, the Holy See, the Sovereign Order of Knights of Malta, Serbia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Spain and the Netherlands, and that it is additionally necessary to fill the positions of permanent representatives of ambassadors in permanent missions to the UN in New York and NATO, as well as the positions of general consuls in Frankfurt and New York.
Nikolić pointed out that the insistence on resignations is not for the sake of resignation and recalled the resignations of Miodrag Radunović after the case of the Bjelopolje babies, Pavel Radulović after the arrest of the inspector in Budva, Andrija LOmpar after the train accident in Bioč...
"That is one aspect of the story. What should guide us is the general interest in the public good and security," he said, adding that not everything depends on Ibrahimovic.
Nikolić announced that Montenegro does not have 24 representatives in the DKP and asked the minister how many were filled.
Ibrahimović pointed out that Montenegro is going in the right direction, and that he stayed in Strasbourg, where he received praise from the highest addresses.
"At the moment, we have 14 heads of the DKP (eight ambassadors, three permanent representatives, one head of mission and two consuls general), and we do not have 24 heads of the DKP (20 ambassadors, two permanent representatives and two consuls general)," he said.
He announced that it is necessary to reach an agreement on the filling of ambassadorial positions in: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, the Holy See, the Sovereign Order of Knights of Malta, Serbia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Spain and the Netherlands, and that it is additionally necessary to fill the positions of permanent representatives of ambassadors in permanent missions to the UN in New York and NATO, as well as the positions of general consuls in Frankfurt and New York.
DPS MP Nikola Rakočević pointed out that he is satisfied that Ibrahimović is in the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, after "four years of destruction", but that he is "in bad company".
"After the announcement by the leader of the parliamentary majority Andrija Mandić that he will amend the Constitution with the help of allies from the parliamentary majority, that he will amend the law on dual citizenship according to the principle and method of Vojislav Koštunica in order to create ethnic, demographic and electoral engineering. After other announcements and move - removing the flag, changing the Parliament's logo, my question is how will you behave towards these two initiatives - changes to the Constitution and the law on citizenship as a potential bomb in the foundations of civil Montenegro?" Ibrahimović asked.
"I believe that it is clear to all of us that, especially in the spirit of the much-needed dialogue in Montenegro, we would have to guarantee the right to propose, initiate or launch initiatives for changes to any legal solution to all those who are granted this right by our Constitution in Article 93. I am convinced that we will also agree that it is a long way from the initiation to the adoption of a certain law or the amendment of a certain law. the law that regulates the issue of Montenegrin citizenship," replied the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He added that the current Law on Montenegrin Citizenship in Article 18 already prescribes the possibility of establishing dual citizenship because it is stated that Montenegrin citizenship can be acquired on the basis of ratified international treaties or agreements concluded by Montenegro, as well as that those treaties or agreements can establish dual citizenship, subject to reciprocity.
"The above is the factual situation, but as the Vice-President of the Government for International Relations and the Minister of Foreign Affairs who is unreservedly committed to our soon-to-be EU membership, I would like to point out that discussions on amendments to the Law on Citizenship are acceptable and will be conducted exclusively in an atmosphere of social consensus and in a close cooperation with the European Commission, which implies an absolute avoidance of all possible manipulations and attempts at electoral engineering," said Ibrahimović and added that he would not remind how some electoral laws were changed.
Social Democrats (SD) MP Nikola Zirojević asked Ibrahimović whether he would propose as ambassadors representatives of the coalition For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG) who express views against Montenegro's membership in NATO, against the independence of Kosovo, who openly deny the existence of the genocide in Srebrenica and whose policy led to a serious cooling of relations with the Republic of Croatia.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs replied that the dialogue must be strengthened, and that in front of Zirojević is still the man who voted for the Resolution on Srebrenica, joining NATO...
"At the beginning of the answer to your question, I want to remind you of the constitutional and legal competences and procedures in connection with the appointment of ambassadors of Montenegro abroad," he said and added that the Government, the Parliament, and the President participate in this process.
As he added, the Law on Foreign Affairs enables up to 30 percent of the heads of the DKP to be persons who are not diplomats.
"In accordance with our foreign policy goals and the European values we strive for, we approach the selection of new diplomatic representatives at the level of heads of representative offices through an agreement between the President, the Government and the Parliament of Montenegro. Our citizens are clearly committed to European values and I believe that awareness is growing among political actors and individuals about the responsibility we have, as well as the contribution we must provide to achieve that goal. I am convinced that we will find solutions and that these solutions will be experienced individuals who will represent Black Goru. The privilege of being representatives of Montenegro and its interests must be earned by knowledge, references and the desire to contribute to the affirmation of Montenegro as a state of the rule of law, a credible member of NATO and the first next member of the European Union (EU)," said Ibrahimović.
As he pointed out, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he will not nominate candidates who are not in line with the established foreign policy goals set by the Government of Montenegro.
Citing Ibrahimović's claims that "the one who is against the entry of BS into the Government is against Bosniaks, independent and multi-ethnic Montenegro", Zirojević said that there are members of the Bosniak people in other parties as well.
"Does the government recognize Kosovo? Take Budimir Aleksić and Milun Zogović to visit the Kosovo government," said the SD deputy.
DPS parliamentarian Abaz Dizdarević reminded that the Government extended the sanctions against Russia at the recent session based on the consent of the majority of members.
"Which of the members of the Government did not vote for the introduction of international restrictive measures against Russia, which were determined by the decision of the Council of the EU", he asked.
Ibrahimović replied that the executive power is fully committed to fulfilling its obligations from the European agenda, but also with the EU's foreign and security policy, and that by voting for the extension of sanctions it confirmed this, and referred Dizdarević to the Government's expert service because "it is not within the competence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to keeps records of who voted".
The MP of the DPS said that if it is in the interest of Montenegro to be in the EU, the foreign policy must be aligned with that, and told Ibrahimović to "be careful in what kind of society he is trying to build a European Montenegro".
BS MP Edina Dešić asked Ibrahimović how he and the department he manages can speed up activities to fulfill the EU agenda and in what way he can contribute to the acceleration of Montenegro towards EU membership.
"According to the latest research data, almost 80 percent of citizens support Montenegro's membership in the EU, and it is one of the few issues in our society on which there is so much agreement. What is much more important than membership itself is the preparatory process in which Montenegro should establishing the rule of law and strong and independent institutions on the one hand and improving the standard of living of all citizens on the other. And it was the citizens who indicated through research that the government should deal with this issue the most in foreign policy," she pointed out.
Ibrahimović said that, above all, it is necessary to develop the north, and that the data from the census speak of emigration from that part of Montenegro.
He added that Montenegro cannot be equal for everyone, if the north does not have equal living conditions, and that Montenegro is recognized at all addresses as the next member of the EU.
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