Tadić: It was my decision to recognize the result of the referendum, it was the will of the citizens of Montenegro

Former Serbian President Boris Tadić said that he came home and never felt that Montenegro was something foreign to him, stating that he was in favor of preserving the union of Serbia and Montenegro.

At the conference "Montenegro 20 Years Later - Between Promises and Expectations", organized by the Heinrich Böll Foundation office in Belgrade and the Center for Geopolitics in Podgorica, he said that at that time he had the role of explaining Montenegrin identity controversies to the Serbian opposition.

At a panel that draws on the direct and indirect experiences of political actors who shaped or lived through the crucial years of Montenegrin statehood, Tadić said that there was no understanding in Serbia for the legitimacy of the Independence Movement.

"My role was to recognize the result of the referendum. That was the will of the citizens of Montenegro," Tadić said.

He said that Kosovo is an issue of extreme importance not only for Serbia, but also for the Montenegrin people: "People are forgetting what history is."

Tadić said that Montenegro's departure represented a huge burden for him as the country's president:

"Today we have a problem together. Many entities in the world that seek independence can refer to Kosovo."

Former Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić emphasized that Milo Đukanović had great merit for the independence of Montenegro.

She said that Montenegro, among other things, adopted a civil Constitution.

She pointed out that in the past 20 years, Montenegrin society and the various political elites working on it have achieved success.

Pusić said that some Montenegrin politicians are trying to "throw the hammer underfoot", trying to spoil relations with Croatia. She stressed that she hopes that Croatian colleagues have not "fallen for that hook".

Former President of the Parliament of Montenegro Ranko Krivokapić agrees that without Milo Đukanović, there would be no independence.

He said that one of the key people was Predrag Bulatović on the night of 2006 when radical moves were sought within the Bloc for a Joint State, to which he belonged.

Among the key people, he said, was Svetozar Marović, who negotiated well, and he also mentioned Predrag Šoć.

Krivokapić said that Tadić's role was historic, stating that he was a true democrat, who "came and calmed the situation."

"We didn't raise tensions either. There was one gathering where only Milo and I were present," Krivokapić said.

He pointed out that current politicians are moving along the tracks set by the DPS-SDP coalition.

Tadić, responding to the thesis that the infrastructure for Serbia's influence over Montenegro was created during his mandate, said that it is not the greatest victory when your political opponent takes over your agenda.

"That's what Vučić did, leaving the Serbian Radical Party and leaning on my European agenda...".

Tadić said that the referendum for the independence of Montenegro was not the solution to all of Montenegro's problems.

He stressed that he "hopes that the EU will find itself," and that it is good that Montenegro has become independent, and that he admits that he had the wrong attitude.

He pointed out that Vojislav Koštunica did not understand the nature of Montenegrin society and that he thought that Montenegro would forever remain with Serbia.

Tadić said that Filip Vujanović also played a significant role in the referendum. He said that Montenegro intervened in the 2012 elections in Serbia, when he lost the presidential election.

Pusić said that the EU is today the only place where democracy is preserved.

"The EU is rich, populous. The EC will have a defense commissioner for the first time since 2024... Europe invests more in defense than China, but without any organization."

She pointed out that Montenegro is entering the EU on a much more equal footing than might appear at first glance.

Pusić said that joining the EU provides greater guarantees for the survival of Montenegrin independence and for Montenegrin society to become politically self-aware.

Ranko Krivokapić said that Momir Bulatović once had more freedom than parts of the Serbian government now have.

He pointed out that a secular state is the only way to be a good member of the EU, stating that both Montenegro and Serbia are under the influence of the church.