Montenegro: UK urges, SPC warns

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has voiced hope that Montenegro will recognize Kosovo after the Thursday debate inits parliament. In an article for the Thursday edition of the Podgorica-based daily Vijesti, Miliband admitted that positions on Kosovo varied both within the EU and in the wider international community, and therefore in Montenegro as well. Montenegro: UK urges, SPC warns "My opinion is that Kosovo recognition is the key to the strengthening of regional stability," Miliband pointed out, reminding that a total of 50 countries, including 21 EU member states, had recognized Kosovo so far. Also today in Podgorica, Serb Orthodox Church (SPC) Metropolitan of Montenegro Amfilohije told Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic that their country had always been strongly liked to Kosovo and that a recognition of its unilateral independence would set a mark of disgrace on its history. The metropolitan said, on the occasion of the “forced imposition of Kosovo independence and the government's resolution on the necessity to accelerate Montenegro's European integration,” that he felt the need to draw the attention of Vujanovic and Djukanovic to the fact that Montenegro had been organically tied to the region of Kosovo and Metohija for as long as it can remember. “You have the historic responsibility to decide whether, following the path of St. Petar Cetinjski and King Nikola, you will save honor and preserve the dignity of Montenegro, its righteousness and freedom, which our country rests upon, or, God forbid, you will set a mark of disgrace on its face, and adorn it with such shame and humiliation that has never been seen in its centuries-long history of chivalry and strong character,” Amfilohije said in his open letter to the Montenegrin president and prime minister.

Montenegro: UK urges, SPC warns

"My opinion is that Kosovo recognition is the key to the strengthening of regional stability," Miliband pointed out, reminding that a total of 50 countries, including 21 EU member states, had recognized Kosovo so far.

Also today in Podgorica, Serb Orthodox Church (SPC) Metropolitan of Montenegro Amfilohije told Montenegrin President Filip Vujanović and Prime Minister Milo Đukanović that their country had always been strongly liked to Kosovo and that a recognition of its unilateral independence would set a mark of disgrace on its history.

The metropolitan said, on the occasion of the “forced imposition of Kosovo independence and the government's resolution on the necessity to accelerate Montenegro's European integration,” that he felt the need to draw the attention of Vujanović and Đukanović to the fact that Montenegro had been organically tied to the region of Kosovo and Metohija for as long as it can remember.

“You have the historic responsibility to decide whether, following the path of St. Petar Cetinjski and King Nikola, you will save honor and preserve the dignity of Montenegro, its righteousness and freedom, which our country rests upon, or, God forbid, you will set a mark of disgrace on its face, and adorn it with such shame and humiliation that has never been seen in its centuries-long history of chivalry and strong character,” Amfilohije said in his open letter to the Montenegrin president and prime minister.