President of Croatia Zoran Milanovic It is difficult to influence the lifting of the ban on entry into that country for the head of the Montenegrin parliament. Andrija Mandić (New Serbian Democracy), Deputy Prime Minister To Aleksi Bečić (Democrats) and MP and head of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević, because the levers of power in that situation are held by the executive branch Andrej PlenkovićIn addition, it is questionable whether Milanović will even address this topic, because it could cause him political damage.
Thus, a retired professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb Žarko Puhovski comments for "Vijesti" the statement of the Montenegrin head of state Jakov Milatović that he asked Milanović to intervene to have three Montenegrin politicians "removed" from the list of undesirables in Zagreb.
"Regardless of different political positions, the policy of declaring our politicians and citizens persona non grata within the region is not the path of cooperation and dialogue," Milatović said the day before yesterday, after a meeting of the leaders of the Brdo-Brioni Process in Albania.
Puhovski believes that the question arises as to whether Milanović has any motive at all to stand up for Mandić, Bečić and Knežević, because such a move, according to him, would probably not be particularly popular in Croatia.
"... And I don't see that he would do such a thing if he wasn't gaining some points in public," said the interlocutor.
The declaration of Montenegrin politicians as persona non grata in Croatia at the end of July last year is one in a series of moves that led to a "cooling" of relations between the two countries. This decision by Zagreb was a direct consequence of the vote on the Resolution on genocide in the Jasenovac, Dachau and Mauthausen concentration camps in the Montenegrin Parliament.
This document was adopted at the initiative of part of the ruling majority, after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution on the Srebrenica genocide at the end of May 2024. This was done with the support of Montenegro, which was opposed by the parties of the former Democratic Front (DF) - Mandić's Nova and Knežević's DNP, which therefore demanded that the Montenegrin parliament adopt a resolution on Jasenovac.
Milanović's office did not respond to the newspaper's questions about his opinion on Milatović's initiative, and whether they will request that the ban on three Montenegrin politicians entering Croatia be lifted.
The Montenegrin head of state's office did not directly respond to the editorial team's question about why Milatović decided to take this step at this particular moment, given that Mandić, Bečić and Knežević have been on the "black" list for almost 15 months, stating that the president emphasized that "it was up to him to convey that message and encourage dialogue."
Plenković asks himself
Puhovski said that Milanović cannot do much for the three Montenegrin politicians because all the levers of power in this specific case are held by the local government.
The strongest element of the executive branch in Zagreb is Plenković's Croatian Democratic Union, while Milanović is a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party.
"This is not a particular topic in Croatia, it happened as a kind of child's play on the edge of some friction between Montenegro and Croatia, and it is a manipulation of the original meaning of this concept. Namely, persona non grata is a concept designed as a label for diplomats who are abroad, in a country, and that country expels them. And not as a concept that stops someone from coming to the country, especially someone who is a high-ranking official of a neighboring country, which is claimed to have good relations with Croatia," the interlocutor explains.
According to him, this is where a whole series of misunderstandings arose.
"It seems to me that the said gentlemen allowed themselves some formulations on the Montenegrin side that are, to say the least, not very reasonable, not to mention decency, but I think that the Croatian reaction was excessive," Puhovski concludes.
Political scientist Miloš Perović He told the editorial staff that Milatović's initiative can be seen more as a symbolic move, with not so great chances of quick implementation, given that the "instruments" are in the hands of the Croatian government. He added that Milanović had previously suggested that "politicians (Mandić, Bečić and Knežević) are to blame for their own status."
He pointed out that the president's move can primarily be interpreted as a gesture towards reducing tensions and strengthening regional dialogue, "more precisely as Milatović's attempt to position himself as a stabilizing factor in regional relations, advocating for overcoming obstacles, even those concerning politicians with whom he often disagrees."
"In short, I see Milatović's move as a pragmatic diplomatic initiative spurred by the immediate opportunity at the regional summit and the high positions held by Mandić and Bečić, which has turned an issue from internal politics into a serious diplomatic problem in relations between the two neighboring countries," the source said.
Perović pointed out that the presence of Milatović and Milanović at the Brdo-Brioni process provided a direct opportunity to raise issues in the context of improving regional cooperation and dialogue.
"Although Milanović is the president and does not have direct instruments, he certainly has political influence," Perović noted, pointing out that Milatović likely chose the time "when he felt it was most favorable for a diplomatic initiative," even if only as a public gesture.
Deteriorated relationships
The cooling of relations between Podgorica and Zagreb began in the winter of 2024, after the Croatian Minister of Defense Ivan Anusic canceled a meeting with his Montenegrin counterpart during his visit to Montenegro Dragan Krapović (Democrats) because, as he explained, Krapović's views on the ship "Jadran" and the memorial plaque in the former "Morinj" camp in Kotor.
Krapović previously stated that Croatia has no right to claim “Jadran” and that the plaque in “Morinje” should be replaced with another one, “with adequate text.” The plaque, unveiled in October 2022, mentions the “Greater Serbian aggression against Croatia,” and reads: “We remember the crimes committed to disgrace the name and spirit of Montenegro. We express regret for all the suffering endured by the detainees. May it never happen again.”
In the “Morinje” camp, 292 people from the Dubrovnik region were imprisoned in inhumane conditions. 169 prisoners testified about the inhumane treatment they were subjected to. Four people were sentenced to 12 years in prison for this war crime in court.
The plaque was placed outside the procedure stipulated by the Law on Memorials, i.e. without a decision of the Government and the consent of the Municipality of Kotor. Therefore, in mid-October 2022, the former Directorate for Inspection Affairs issued a decision to remove the plaque and obliged the Municipality of Kotor to implement it. However, the removal was repeatedly prevented by members of the Army of Montenegro.
According to a part of the Montenegrin public, the plaque does not correctly treat the historical circumstances when Montenegro was a participant in the aggression against Croatia in the area of Konavle and Dubrovnik.
Montenegro and Croatia began bilateral consultations in January with the aim of overcoming disputes that prevented Podgorica from closing Chapter 31 (foreign, security and defense policy) in negotiations with the EU at the end of last year.
As “Vijesti” recently wrote, an agreement is close and should include the payment of compensation to Croatian citizens who were detained in the former “Morinj” camp and the non-removal of the memorial plaque at that site, as well as changing the name of the city swimming pool in Kotor. In August 2021, the Kotor parliament decided to name it after Zoran Džimi Gopčević, who was said to be one of the best water polo players in the area. Zagreb condemned this, claiming that Gopčević was a security guard at “Morinje”.
Part of the agreement should also be that the ship "Jadran", which Zagreb claims, should not be discussed in either Montenegro or Croatia, until the issue is resolved by agreement between the two countries or through international arbitration.
In addition to the "Adriatic Sea", the topic of the maritime border between the neighbors will remain open, while the case of the Split "Lora" camp, in which 14 members of the former Yugoslav People's Army from the so-called Nikšić-Šavnik group were killed, will not, claims a "Vijesti" source, be included in this partial agreement.
Milatović: The region needs bridges, not walls
Milatović's office told "Vijesti" that the head of state said at a meeting of the leaders of the Brdo-Brioni Process that he believes that relations between the countries of the region should be based on dialogue, understanding and mutual respect.
"He also reminded us of examples in the region that further confirm the need to change such practices - because the case in your question is not isolated. Similar decisions are being made in numerous countries in the Western Balkans, which does not benefit anyone..."
They said that Milatović believes that such a policy does not lead to dialogue and that "the region needs bridges, not walls."
"As a tourist and open country, Montenegro is oriented towards its neighbors. Therefore, President Milatović believes that it is our responsibility, even in complex circumstances, to be more constructive, promote cooperation and work to create space for mutual trust. Only such a policy can bring Montenegro and the Western Balkans region closer to the EU and a better life for all citizens."
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