Nikola Petrović Njegoš said on the occasion of marking the 20th anniversary of the restoration of Montenegro's independence that the anniversary should be an opportunity to reexamine the path the country is taking, calling on citizens to focus more on the future, togetherness, and nature protection.
In a message on the occasion of Independence Day, Petrović described Montenegro as a love story between history and geography, emphasizing that "we are all children of that union, regardless of our social or cultural background, feelings, political affiliations, whether we are young or old, rich or poor."
"History at first glance seems to be the source of our divisions. In reality, it is what connects us every day and why we all depend on each other, despite victories and defeats, dramas and crises," the prince said in his message.
He emphasized that independence was restored democratically and without bloodshed in 2006, but also reminded that Montenegro had already been an independent state for five centuries.
"Independent and free at the cost of the many sacrifices made by our ancestors, to whom we owe the dedication of this anniversary," he added.
Petrović thanked everyone who participated in the restoration of independence, including citizens and the diaspora, stating that this process would not have been possible without the courage and patriotism of the people who defended peace and coexistence during the breakup of Yugoslavia.
"To all of you, dear compatriots, to all of you wherever you are, who contributed to our independence, on behalf of my ancestors who all fought for this cause, I would like to express our deep and sincere gratitude and respect. I lived through that period myself and had the opportunity to meet many of you in those difficult moments. It is a human experience that I will never forget," said Petrović.
The prince pointed out that twenty years later we need to pause, look at the path we have taken and check the direction we have set for ourselves.
"It's time to get out our compasses," he said.
He assessed that Montenegro is today deeply divided on political, identity and religious issues, often within families, but that citizens are forgetting what connects them most - nature and the space in which they live.
"I would like Montenegro to care equally, if not more, about its future than about its past during this new decade. To be more interested in what unites it than in what divides it. More in what makes it strong than in what makes it weak. Our fellow citizens are truly divided on issues that seem crucial to them: politics, identity, religion, often even within the same family. In doing so, they forget the most important thing: their attachment to these magnificent spaces that surround us, but which are gradually being destroyed due to our negligence and individualism. And it is precisely this exceptional nature that is of vital importance to all of us and together we must protect and valorize it. This is the only way to improve the living conditions of not only the poorest but also the richest. Because being rich among the poor, in a destroyed environment, even if it is possible not to notice it, does not mean living a good life either," said Petrović.
The Prince also recalled the concept of an ecological state inscribed in the Constitution of Montenegro in 1991, assessing that this project is today "more relevant than ever" and that it represents a development opportunity for the country.
At the end of his address, he quoted a verse by Petar II Petrović Njegoš: "Let what cannot be be, be," calling on citizens to once again respond to the challenge that, as he stated, Njegoš was addressing to the conscience of society.
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