"Serb parties in Montenegro to decide for themselves"

"Serb parties in Montenegro to decide for themselves"

Nikolić underscored that he "does not wish to interfere with the parties' decision as to their potential coalition partners and the best ways to protect the interests of Serbs," the president's press service said.

Nikolić expressed the hope that Serb parties would win in the elections and take over responsibility and thus ensure better living conditions and realization of all rights for Serbs in Montenegro.

“You will get the support you seek, be it institutional support or definition of strategic goals around which Serbs should unite,” Nikolić said.

Mandić thanked Nikolić for the support and said that his party would prepare a platform to define the most important goals of Serbs in Montenegro on which political representatives of Serbs should achieve the widest possible consensus.

At the same time, Serbia's support in the achievement of the goals will be very important, Mandić said.

"Unity"

Slavka Drašković, director of the Serbian Hovernment Office for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, urged on Wednesday Serbs in Montenegro to get involved in the social and political activities in Montenegro and to be united in the fight for their own goals.

“Only united, can Serbs in Montenegro solve two main problems, and these are the status of a constituent people and constitutional definition of the use of the Serbian language,” Drašković said after the talks with leaders of Serb parties and organizations in Montenegro.

Drašković underlined that Serbs are not and cannot be a national minority in Montenegro, reads a statement issued by the office.

Drašković conferred with officials of Serb parties and organizations in Podgorica, Bar, Herceg Novi on the constitutional definition of the Serbian language and the Cyrillic script, cultural and educational autonomy and freedom of the Serbian-language media.

“In less than 10 years, the number of people using the Serbian language has dropped by 20 percent, which is a precedent in the world. Considering that there have been no forced mass migrations in the territory of Montenegro, this fact calls for an explanation,” Drašković said.

According to the 2011 population census, Montenegro had 620,000 citizens, 178,000 or 28 percent are Serbs, while according to the 2003 census the number of Serbs stood at 198,414 or 32 percent.