Montenegro generally maintains good bilateral relations with neighboring countries, some of which are members of the European Union (EU), the European Commission (EC) assessed in its draft annual report on Montenegro.
In the document that "Vijesti" had access to (the official report will be presented today), it is written that relations between Podgorica and Belgrade are "generally stable", although, they say, there are "occasional mutual accusations", without specifying what kind of accusations they are talking about.
"High-level visits were held, and cooperation agreements between the two countries were signed," the draft states.
The EC notes that Montenegro's relations with Croatia "have intensified through the ongoing dialogue, in order to find solutions to outstanding bilateral issues." They add that, in addition to the ministerial-level dialogue, several high-level visits and meetings have been held, including meetings between the prime ministers of the two countries on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum.
Montenegro and Croatia began bilateral consultations at the end of January with the aim of overcoming the 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" wrote, an agreement is close and should include the payment of compensation to Croatian citizens who were detained in the former camp in Morinje and the non-removal of the memorial plaque at that location, as well as changing the name of the city swimming pool in Kotor.
When it comes to relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the EC assesses that they "generally remain good". It recalls that talks were held at the presidential level on strengthening economic ties and regional cooperation, that the joint Zupci–Sitnica border crossing on the Trebinje–Herceg Novi road was officially opened, and assesses that "occasional events" in the Republika Srpska (one of the two entities of BiH) have provoked "strong reactions from senior Montenegrin officials".
One of these events was the decision of the Court of BiH, which sentenced former RS President Milorad Dodik to one year in prison (he redeemed the sentence) and a six-year ban on political activity, for disrespecting the decisions of the High Representative in BiH.
The draft report stated that Montenegro's relations with Kosovo remained good, with several consultations at ministerial level, which, according to the EC's findings, confirms "a shared European and Euro-Atlantic perspective". However, the EC notes that there are occasional inter-party tensions (on the Kosovo issue) within the Montenegrin parliamentary majority, while noting that Montenegro supports Kosovo's independence and sovereignty.
These tensions were seen, among other things, in the announcement by Montenegrin Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimović (Bosniak Party) that Montenegro would support Kosovo's application for membership in the Council of Europe. This caused outrage among the parties of the former Democratic Front.
Relations with Turkey stable, unequivocal support for Ukraine
The commission also addressed Montenegro's relations with countries that are not its neighbors. The document, which the editorial team had access to, states that bilateral relations with Turkey remained stable and included high-level visits, "with expressed intentions to further develop bilateral cooperation, especially in the area of economic development."
The document does not mention the recent decision of the Government to introduce visas for Turkish citizens, following the incident in the Podgorica settlement of Zabjelo, in which MJ (25) was wounded, for which the police initially suspected a Turkish and Azerbaijani citizen (in the meantime, the case has been settled, so the two Azerbaijanis are suspects). Nor is it noted the series of xenophobic incidents against Turkish citizens that followed the incident in Zabjelo.
Regarding relations with Ukraine, the EC states that Montenegro has continued to provide "unequivocal support" to that country, which has been attacked by Russia.
"Including humanitarian and military assistance. Montenegro participated in regional initiatives, including the Ukraine - South-East Europe Summit in 2024, and the first meeting of Ukraine - South-East Europe foreign ministers. The presidents of the two countries met," the document recalls.
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