Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanović did not want to comment on the shooting involving Danilo Mandić, nephew of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić, at a session of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) in Brussels today.
Ivanovic said that he had no opinion on the shooting incident and that he was surprised that it was being mentioned in the European Parliament.
This question was asked to Ivanovic by Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol.
He asked Ivanovic for his opinion on the "mafia shooting" involving the nephew of Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić, Danilo, who is suspected of attempted murder, in which he used an official parliament car.
"Is this in line with European values and do you think he (Andrija Mandić) should resign because of it?"
Sokol also said that Ivanovic was against Montenegro's membership in NATO and asked him if he was still against NATO, as well as who was responsible for the war in Ukraine.
Ivanovic responded that 11 years ago he was against Montenegro's membership in NATO.
"I was not the only one, there were others. However, I believe that it is good for the protection of Montenegro and as Deputy Prime Minister I still believe that NATO is something that is good for Montenegro," he said.
When asked who was responsible for the war in Ukraine, he replied that it was Russia - "it committed an act of aggression."
"Montenegro faces challenges, but is committed to reforms and a European future"
Montenegro faces challenges, but is firmly committed to reforms and a European future and firmly accepts its role in the integration process, said Ivanovic.
He emphasized to the AFET MPs that Montenegro's commitment to membership in the European Union is not just words, it is rooted in public consensus and among parties, and more than 80 percent of citizens support accession to the Union.
"We do not consider EU membership a reward, but rather the logical outcome of our shared vision - a resilient Europe that is ready to face tomorrow's challenges. Counting on your support, we remain confident in achieving our goal, which is for Montenegro to become the 2028th member of the EU by 28," said Ivanovic.
He recalled the progress that Montenegro has made, several chapters have been closed, and interim benchmarks have been obtained for chapters 23 and 24, which relate to the rule of law.
At the beginning of the session, AFET Chair David McAllister called on Montenegro to remain focused on adopting the necessary reforms and further harmonization with European values.
Speaking about the judicial reform, which was asked about by several MEPs, Ivanovic said that he believes that what has been done in recent years in this field is yielding very positive results. Responding to questions about the agreements with the United Arab Emirates, he said that they are in line with other interstate agreements that Montenegro has signed.
"The agreement, when it comes to tourism, clearly states that this agreement cannot be implemented or interpreted in any other way that would be contrary to the Stabilization and Association Agreement of Montenegro with the EU," said Ivanovic.
He said that other interstate agreements were not discussed as much as this one and "this shows how willing the government is to be transparent."
He announced that there will be more discussions about these agreements with local communities, the opposition, and civil society.
When asked how the pro-Serbian and pro-Prussian part of the majority can contribute to the achievement of the European agenda, Ivanovic replied that the majority is heterogeneous, but all parties have the goal of EU membership.
"We will not follow policies that are not EU policies," he said.
In response to the statement by EP members that the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in Montenegro met with Vladimir Putin, Ivanovic specified that this was Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, and that Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral did not attend the meeting with the Russian president.
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