Although the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Economic Development Nick Djelosaj and head of parliament Andrija Mandic, as well as the parties they lead, have had several fierce verbal conflicts, in which insults and harsh qualifications were showered, the leaders of the Albanian Forum (AF) and the New Serbian Democracy (NSD) sat down at the table the day before yesterday, claiming that this was a "historic meeting" that opens a "new chapter" in their cooperation.
NSD announced yesterday that a meeting of "presidents of Serbian parties" in Montenegro was held - Mandić (NSD), Milan Knežević (Democratic People's Party) i Vladimir Joković (Socialist People's Party) with AF leader Đeljošaj and the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Nikola Camaj (OF).
They stated that "Serbs and Albanians in Montenegro have a long tradition of coexistence, mutual respect and good neighborly relations", and that, despite "there being different views on some regional problems", the common commitment to membership in the European Union (EU) "remains unquestionable".
It was also announced that they agreed that the time has come for a "state of equal opportunities for all", and that the dialogue between political representatives of the two peoples is "an important step in a time of great turbulence and wars", and that it should serve "as an example to other peoples throughout the region".
DON'T MISS IT
The party meeting, which was held in parliament, followed reports in media outlets close to the NSD that Mandić and Đeljošaj were "blocking" the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) from entering the government. Milojko Spajić (Europe Now Movement).
The ministers of the AF and NSD had similar views on the recent tender for concessions for Montenegrin airports. The procedure was marked by the controversial work of the tender commission for awarding concessions, of which Đeljošaj is the president.
AF and NSD have been partners in the executive branch since late July 2024, but that has not stopped them from exchanging serious accusations on several occasions. In August last year, Đeljošaj told Mandić that he hoped that he had "tied Albanians for the last time" to his, as he put it, "chauvinistic project" of dual citizenship.
After Đeljošaj said in October that the regulation would be met with a "fierce response", the coalition For the Future of Montenegro, of which NSD is a member, accused the AF leader of "pronounced chauvinism" towards Serbs, and that "it could happen that he will be kicked out of the government", to which Đeljošaj replied that he was "following" Mandić's threats, and that "it is known that only cowards do not sign statements".
In early December, AF called Mandić an "incorrigible Albanophobe," accusing him of inciting hatred and using warmongering language.
DON'T MISS IT
“FOCUSED ON YOURSELF, NOT ON THE PUBLIC INTEREST”
Director of the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) Milka Tadic Mijović, she told Vijesti that it is "lucky for both peoples" that much does not depend on the parties whose leaders were at the meeting in parliament. She said that these parties are, above all, focused on themselves, and not on improving opportunities and the public interest.
"... So, these are parties that primarily care about their own interests and positions, and I really do not believe that this meeting has anything to do with the real position of these ethnic groups in Montenegro...", she assessed.
Tadić Mijović stated that the meeting seemed "rather frivolous" to her.
"It's as if these two groups were at war, and now they've sat down at the table to negotiate... And in fact, they're in the same government. What does the fact that they're now having special meetings tell us? Don't they meet every day, don't they agree within the government...", she asked.
She said that it all looks a bit like a cartoon and people don't know what modern democracy is and what the procedures are within it. She asked - why the special explanation that they met, if they are coalition partners and members of the government.
"In addition, we are talking about the president and vice president of the Parliament - they sat down to negotiate the positions of two peoples. Truly unusual. It's as if they are playing politics, as if they are playing with all of us...", stated Tadić Mijović.
APPROACH OR POLITICAL GAME
Mandić's cabinet, the NSD and the Democratic People's Party did not respond to Vijesti's questions about the purpose of the meeting, how it came about after serious accusations and words, and whether it was a real rapprochement or a daily political game.
Đeljošaj did not answer the editorial team's questions either, but he told Anteni M that, "as representatives of Albanians", they have "a dialogue with all political parties in Montenegro".
"Today we are talking with representatives of the Serbian people, and in the coming period with other national and civic parties...", he said.
Nikola Camaj told Vijesti that it is not new in his political activities to support "everything that contributes to better relations between nations", regardless of the past, and that "guarantees a better and more prosperous future for everyone".
"I have always been and will always be ready to make my full contribution to the well-being of all citizens of Montenegro, representing, above all, the interests of our nation - which is our responsibility and priority in relation to daily political games and interests," he stated.
Ferhat Dinoša, the president of the National Albanian Union, which is part of the AF, said that he learned about the meeting from the media, saying that he would not rush to a meeting with politicians who do not see the state of Kosovo as part of the 'Serbian world' and who do not recognize the genocide in Srebrenica."
The Socialist People's Party (SNP) told Vijesti that they consider the meeting the day before yesterday a positive step towards "creating an environment in which differences are respected and the common interests of citizens are put at the forefront."
"We would like to emphasize that any conversation between political representatives of different peoples in Montenegro is welcome, if it aims to strengthen mutual trust, political stability and coexistence," they stated.
When asked whether this was a real rapprochement or a daily political game, they replied that they believed that honest dialogue had no alternative and that it was necessary, "especially in the divided Montenegrin society."
"If such meetings are organized with respect and a clear vision of cooperation, then they can be a useful instrument for bringing people together. However, if the motive is exclusively political trade or daily political positioning - they lose their meaning," they pointed out, adding that they do not belong to such an approach, and that they have members "who are Albanians, but cherish all these values."
A MEETING OF PARTIES, NOT OF THE PEOPLE
Minister of Human and Minority Rights and leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) Fatmir Đeka, told the newspaper that he sees the meeting as a gathering of parliamentary parties and coalitions, “and certainly not as a meeting of representatives of two peoples.” He assessed that it was their legitimate right to meet and negotiate, “but certainly not on behalf of two peoples, because they do not have a mandate for that.”
"Of course, we have absolutely nothing against the Serbian people, but we do have an objection to the Greater Serbian ideology, the policy of creating some kind of 'Serbian world', the denial of the crimes in Srebrenica and certainly the failure to recognize the reality of the existence of the state of Kosovo," he said.
He stated that ideologically he is "very far from these Serbian parties, even if they were in Montenegro and we were even in the government with them," because, he claims, the DP made a political agreement with Prime Minister Spajić.
"... And as long as he is on the Euro-Atlantic course and the politics of a civic Montenegro - and we believe he still is - then we remain part of his cabinet. If that is not the case, no one should tell us what to do," said Đeka.
He said that, in that context, neither he, as the president of the DP, nor their coalition (the Albanian Alliance), had a place at the meeting, and they would not have left even if they had been invited.
"However, we inherit some other values. In any case, politics is a public matter. Everyone makes decisions independently and should take responsibility for them," concluded Đeka.
MP from Force, which is a member of the Albanian Alliance, Ilir Chapuni, told Vijesti that he had very little information about the background of the meeting, and that "it was definitely some kind of political game."
"A relative of mine made a brilliant comment: 'Here are two more Albanians in the Serbian circle. I hope they know the steps for that circle and don't stumble like other Albanians who, either out of brotherhood and unity, reconciliation, excessive ambitions or other impulses, got caught in this kind of circle,'" he said.
Asked why he thought he was not invited to the meeting, Čapuni replied that the Albanian Alliance "was not voted for in Nikšić, Bijelo Polje and Berane."
"We are pursuing a correct and upright policy. This is a very serious matter, even for a political game," he assessed.
Leader and MP of the opposition Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA) Mehmed Zenka, told Vijesti that for him and DUA this was a meeting of "an Albanian political party with political representatives of Serbs in Montenegro", adding that he did not know why he would be at that meeting at all, nor why Đeljošaj and Mandić were meeting at all.
When asked by journalists that the NSD called the meeting "historical," he said that it "has nothing to do with history" and that the gathering should not be presented as such.
SNP: We have never been an exclusively Serbian party
The SNP told Vijesti in early May that they were "the strongest defender of socialist values in Montenegro", and criticized the DPS, stating that they were a left-wing party, but that they had "moved towards central and conservative positions".
When asked since when has the SNP been a "Serbian party" and whether they have also moved towards the positions they accuse the DPS of, they replied that they have never been exclusively a "Serbian party", but that they are "proud of their Serbian identity and cultural heritage, but that they are open to all who share their values".
"The SNP has not moved towards the political center, nor towards conservatism - we have only consistently maintained a balance between social justice and the preservation of traditional values that are deeply rooted in our people," they stated, adding that they were "the first to sign a memorandum three years ago with all minority peoples."
Bonus video:
