The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Montenegro announced today that the statements of Serbian Patriarch Porfirije are inappropriate and unacceptable.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the statement of Porfiry, who during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, said: "I feel that our position regarding Kosovo, RS and Montenegro also depends on Russia's position."
"Montenegro is an independent, sovereign and secular state, a member of NATO and a reliable partner of the European and Euro-Atlantic community, with the priority goal of joining the European Union as soon as possible. This cannot be influenced by anyone's statements, nor by political, religious or other calculations, but only by the citizens of Montenegro, who have clearly opted for the development and prosperity of their country. We remind you that state issues are the exclusive competence of the institutions of Montenegro, so statements by religious leaders, including the Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, that relate to domestic or foreign policy, in addition to being irrelevant, are considered inappropriate and inadmissible," the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Ervin Ibrahimović, states.
The government department added that Montenegro remains firmly committed to the path towards membership in the European Union, nurturing the secular character of the state, and strengthening stability and peace in the region, and that they expect all stakeholders, including religious leaders, to respect such a commitment.
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