Montenegro still does not have ambassadors at some of the most important addresses in the world, including Berlin, London, Moscow, the Vatican...
"Vijesti" was informed about this by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP).
From the department he manages Ervin Ibrahimovic (Bosniak Party), said that some ambassadorial positions have not yet been filled, and that these are countries that are "of particular political, economic and strategic importance" for Montenegro - Albania, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Germany, Russia, the Vatican, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Spain.
They noted that the process of appointing ambassadors is complex and involves coordination between the Ministry, Government, Parliament and the head of state, as well as respecting international procedures in communication with host countries.
"That is precisely why we insist on the quality, professionalism and integrity of each candidate, and we expect that most of the remaining appointments will be finalized in the coming months," the MFA said.
When it comes to the appointment procedure, they said that the Ministry is in constant communication with all institutions and stakeholders participating in the process, stating that coordination is underway regarding filling vacant ambassadorial positions "in countries of particular importance", and that they expect an agreement to be reached in this regard soon.
According to the Constitution, the president appoints and dismisses ambassadors at the proposal of the Government and with the opinion of the parliamentary committee responsible for international relations.
DISPUTES
At the beginning of August 2023, Montenegro had ambassadors at only 11 addresses. The reason for this state of the diplomatic network was the failed cohabitation, that is, the inability of the new authorities and the former head of state and the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Milo Đukanović to agree on the appointments of ambassadors.
And Đukanović's successor in office, Jakov Milatovic, also at one point could not find a "common language" with the Government and Parliament on the appointment of ambassadors. Thus, at the end of March 2024, he requested additional consultations for four ambassadorial positions - in Berlin, Madrid, Athens and Moscow, which are still vacant.
Milatović's cabinet then announced that the head of state had supported in principle the proposals for the appointment of all seven career diplomats, but that he had requested "additional consultations" on four of the nine political appointments, "in order to ensure the quality filling of the vacant positions that were the subject of the first round of foreign policy consultations."
Former candidate for ambassador to Russia, president of the Russian-Serbian-Montenegrin Friendship Society "Slovenian Bridge" Miloš Radinović, a few days after the consultations, announced that he was withdrawing from the candidacy, saying that his possible appointment would cause "various negative observations and even misinterpretations of intentions, possibly even political disagreements."
Radinović was proposed as ambassador by the Democratic People's Party (DNP), which, after he withdrew, appointed a member of parliament from that party to the vacant position. Dragan Bojović.
The Law on Foreign Affairs (Article 63) stipulates that a maximum of 30 percent of ambassadors can be appointed politically.
After the dispute, a period of thawing in relations between the president and the government followed, and some ambassadorial positions were filled. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that during Ibrahimović's term (he took office at the end of July last year), 15 ambassadors and two consuls general were appointed, which, according to them, clearly demonstrated the commitment to strengthening the professional and human resources capacities of the foreign service.
"Thus, we have ensured that Montenegro is adequately represented in a greater number of countries and international organizations than before," they underlined.
They said that Montenegro currently has ambassadors in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Kosovo, China, Hungary, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, the United States of America (USA)... Diplomatic posts have also been filled in Serbia, Slovenia, France, Croatia, Ukraine, Denmark and Switzerland.
Podgorica, they add, has diplomatic representatives of the highest rank in the Mission to the European Union (EU), the Permanent Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN) based in New York, the Permanent Mission to the UN and other international organizations, based in Geneva, the Permanent Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and specialized UN organizations based in Vienna, and the Permanent Mission to the Council of Europe (CoE) based in Strasbourg.
"Also, Montenegro has consuls general in the USA, based in New York, Germany, based in Frankfurt, Serbia, based in Sremski Karlovci, and Turkey, based in Istanbul," they said.
According to the Constitution, the president appoints and recalls ambassadors upon the proposal of the Government and with the opinion of the parliamentary committee responsible for international relations. The Law on Foreign Affairs stipulates that a maximum of 30 percent of ambassadors may be appointed politically.
THEY ARE PLANNING EMBASSIES IN JAPAN, INDIA, CZECH REPUBLIC...
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that they plan to further expand the diplomatic and consular network in accordance with strategic priorities and financial capabilities, and that the Government has made a decision to open several new representative offices.
"... Considering the need for strengthening bilateral relations, greater economic and investment cooperation, improved consular services and increased international visibility of Montenegro, especially in the final phase of our European integration process," it added.
They announced that next year they plan to open embassies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, "as EU member states that are long-standing partners and strong advocates of the enlargement policy," and that they plan to strengthen their presence in the Middle East region by opening missions in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
They assessed that by opening embassies in Japan and India, Montenegro will be present in the Indo-Pacific region, in countries that represent important international actors and have geopolitical, economic and technological potential, as well as an important role in the dynamics of that region.
"In parallel, we will open an office of the Embassy of Montenegro in Belgium with headquarters in Luxembourg, which is particularly important considering our cooperation within the EU and NATO, as well as the numerous Montenegrin diaspora in that country. This approach clearly shows that we are developing the diplomatic network strategically and in line with the long-term interests of Montenegro," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
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