DPS: Serbia-Montenegro relations in sorry state

Serbia and Montenegro are not communicating as countries in the democratic world do, says Miodrag Vukovic of the Montenegrin DPS party. He told B92 that contact between the leading politicians of the two countries was almost non-existent. Vukovic said that Serbia must change its anti-European law on citizenship if it wanted to overcome the problems with Montenegro regarding dual citizenship. DPS: Serbia-Montenegro relations in sorry state “If we want to solve the problem, then we have to make the starting positions realistic,” Vukovic said, adding that the Montenegrin government “will give its stance shortly” and “draw a line” under the negotiations. Vukovic said that he did not know whether Montenegro would accept an invitation to continue talks for another whole year on the highest level. Montenegro stipulated that the talks on dual citizenship with all the countries in the region should last one year from the adoption of the Constitution, after which time inter-state agreements would determine whether there would be dual citizenship or not, Vukovic said. Stating that Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic was insisting on a “catastrophic” law, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) official said that Montenegro was a small country and that citizenship “carried” political rights, so that people with dual citizenship would be allowed to vote in elections. He said that the dual citizenship issue would not affect diplomatic relations between the two countries. Asked why Podgorica had not named an ambassador to Belgrade, he said that the bigger question was why Belgrade had declared the Montenegrin ambassador a “persona non grata,” adding that “for Montenegro, the recognition of Kosovo is not a reason for Serbia to say that we stabbed her in the back,” and that Serbia’s reaction had soured relations. He said that Montenegro would open an embassy in Kosovo once both Podgorica and Pristina felt that the time was right for doing so.

DPS: Serbia-Montenegro relations in sorry state

“If we want to solve the problem, then we have to make the starting positions realistic,” Vuković said, adding that the Montenegrin government “will give its stance shortly” and “draw a line” under the negotiations.

Vuković said that he did not know whether Montenegro would accept an invitation to continue talks for another whole year on the highest level.

Montenegro stipulated that the talks on dual citizenship with all the countries in the region should last one year from the adoption of the Constitution, after which time inter-state agreements would determine whether there would be dual citizenship or not, Vuković said.

Stating that Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić was insisting on a “catastrophic” law, the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) official said that Montenegro was a small country and that citizenship “carried” political rights, so that people with dual citizenship would be allowed to vote in elections.

He said that the dual citizenship issue would not affect diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Asked why Podgorica had not named an ambassador to Belgrade, he said that the bigger question was why Belgrade had declared the Montenegrin ambassador a “persona non grata,” adding that “for Montenegro, the recognition of Kosovo is not a reason for Serbia to say that we stabbed her in the back,” and that Serbia’s reaction had soured relations.

He said that Montenegro would open an embassy in Kosovo once both Podgorica and Priština felt that the time was right for doing so.