Milatović: Montenegro must develop mechanisms for recognizing hybrid actions

Montenegro, as a small state, must develop mechanisms for recognizing hybrid actions that are used to exert malignant influence, and whose goal is for citizens to lose trust in institutions, said President Jakov Milatović.

Milatović said at an anti-corruption forum organized by BIRN that Montenegro is in the final phase of negotiations and on the very threshold of the European Union (EU), so it is more necessary than ever to ask the question "what kind of Montenegro do we want in the EU".

He said that it is no longer a question of whether the country will become a member of the EU.

"The question is what Montenegro will be like in 2028 or 2029 when it becomes an EU member. A country that met the technical criteria in the negotiations but neglected the quality of the process, or a country that used the transformative potential of the negotiations to strengthen and build institutions and defensive democratic mechanisms for all the challenges of the modern era," said Milatović.

He said that it is increasingly difficult to track suspicious financial flows in the world of virtual assets, offshore arrangements and complex ownership structures that make it difficult to identify real owners.

"I want to emphasize here that, unlike some other decision-makers, I was against the idea of ​​Montenegro as a crypto paradise," Milatović said.

He said that bilateral cooperation agreements should be aligned with the European norms that the country strives for in order to eliminate room for maneuver for possible corrupt actions and threats to the public interest.

"Montenegro needs to focus more strongly on building a knowledge economy, not a square economy. As president, it is my obligation to point out the potential possibility of endangering the public interest, and this guided me when I returned certain agreements that are to the detriment of the public interest," Milatović emphasized.

He believes that no less harmful to democratic processes is the malignant influence of third parties, who in various ways are trying to create a state of instability in the country, "with the primary goal of diverting us or at least slowing us down on the path to achieving legitimate, strategic and foreign policy goals."

"It is essential that Montenegro, as a small country, develops mechanisms for recognizing hybrid actions that are used to exert malign influence," Milatović added.

He stated that one should never lose sight of the fact that the ultimate goal of hybrid action is for citizens to lose trust in institutions.

"And consequently, in the strategic vision of becoming a full member of the EU," said Milatović.

Speaking about disinformation, he said that it is especially important that decision-makers do not spread it.

Milatović stated that the adoption of the law on internal affairs and the National Security Agency, the escape of Miloš Medenić, and the event that resulted in the abolition of visas for Turkish citizens are examples that were accompanied by disinformation.

Milatović stated that the state needs to show additional maturity through financial transparency, which comes not through bilateral agreements but through building equal conditions for all.

He believes that the state needs stronger supervision of the crypto market through improving the financial intelligence work of the police and the ANB.

Milatović said that it is also necessary to fight against malignant influence and hybrid actions, through the completion of electoral reform.

British Ambassador to Montenegro Don McCann said that although the UK is no longer a member of the EU, it remains a strong partner to Montenegro.

The UK, she added, is deeply committed to the rule of law and democracy and the institutional integrity of the entire region.

"The discussion for EU membership by 2028 is not only reflected in your ambition but also in the strength of institutions, public trust," said McCann.

She said that the challenges present in that process, the misuse of cryptocurrencies and illegal financial flows, and the distribution of disinformation, are connected.

McCann said these challenges affect the rule of law and citizen trust.

"Disinformation builds a divide between people. One way to counter disinformation is through independent journalism," McCann added.

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, Riccardo Seri, said that during a visit last week, European Commissioner Marta Cos said that the country had entered the final phase of negotiations, but also warned that there was still a lot of work to do.

Seri reminded that chapters concerning the rule of law are closed last because this is important for the credibility of the EU process.

"Before these chapters can be closed, Montenegro must meet all conditions regarding obligations in the area of ​​fighting corruption, as well as in the area of ​​anti-corruption. The goals are very high because we will test whether there is reform," Seri said.

He said that next year will be an election year and that there is a possibility of outside influence.

"We have seen how corrupt methods can be extremely strong across Europe, where trust in institutions is weakened, and that is a direct line between fighting corruption and building strong institutions, because then disinformation spreads more easily," Seri added.

He stated that the EU will continue to support Montenegro in strengthening its institutions.

Chargé d'Affaires at the Polish Embassy, ​​Piotr Stachańczyk, said the topics of corruption, malign influence, and disinformation were in line with Polish foreign policy priorities.

"And we are ready to support Montenegro in combating these threats. In the digital era, dangers take on new forms, the emergence of cryptocurrencies has allowed corrupt activities to move into other domains that are impossible to find without specialized skills," said Stachańczyk.

He stated that the rapid development of technology, artificial intelligence, has made this even more challenging.

"Modern challenges, criminal acts, cannot be addressed in isolation, let us remember that they usually come from powerful actors, states such as Russia, which want to shake trust in democratic institutions, weaken alliances," Stachańczyk added.

He added that therefore, actively combating these threats requires international cooperation.

BIRN Executive Director Vuk Maraš said that due to geopolitical developments, Montenegro has been given the opportunity to become part of the EU.

"We cannot forget that membership is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a small country that is not yet sufficiently democratically developed," said Maraš.

He added that the more countries move closer to the EU, the more they face serious malign influences from multiple directions.

"In geopolitical terms, some countries do not want to see us there, because their priority is to weaken the EU. We also have neighbors who have an interest in Montenegro not moving forward so that it is not seen that their reforms are even weaker," Maraš added.

According to Maraš, Montenegro has a chance to become a member of the EU very soon.

"I believe that this is not only an opportunity but also an obligation towards the generations to come. I believe that it is time to put political differences aside, to do everything we can to get closer to the EU as soon as possible, in terms of values, quality, and standard of living," concluded Maraš.