"Crucially different views on dual citizenship"

"Crucially different views on dual citizenship"

The two ministers signed the Agreement on cooperation between diplomatic academies and the Agreement on reciprocal assignment of real estate for accommodation of diplomatic and consular offices.

Addressing a joint pres conference, Dačić said that it is positive Serbia and Montenegro are making progress on their respective EU paths in the awareness of the gravity of the process as this is the path that will ensure their better future.

“We are open for talks on all matters and potential joint presentation in political and diplomatic terms,” Dačić said and added that the cooperation should also cover the infrastructure sector, energy and transport.

He expressed gratitude to Montenegro for the assistance it offered after the catastrophic floods that hit Serbia in May.

Lukšić said that it is important for the two countries' relations to be further deepened through cooperation in a pragmatic way, and noted that the Tuesday talks covered European integration which holds huge importance for the region.

Asked if he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who visited Belgrade on Tuesday, Lukšić said that he did not meet him which, however, does not mean that he does not want to talk with him.

Dačić said that Lukšić's visit was scheduled before the announcement of the Russian foreign minister's visit and added that Lavrov departed from Belgrade even before Lukšić arrived.

“These visits were not closely connected, we did not have trilateral meetings,” Dačić noted.

During his stay in Belgrade, Lukšić will confer with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday.

Embassies

Ivica Dačić and Igor Lukšić signed in Belgrade on Tuesday the agreement on cooperation between the two diplomatic academies and the agreement on reciprocal assignment of real estate for accommodation of diplomatic and consular offices.

According to the agreement, the two countries will assign to each other the premises for embassies in Belgrade and Podgorica, respectively.

Addressing a joint pres conference, Dačić said that the agreement on joint embassies and diplomatic and consular offices was not signed on Tuesday and that instead, the agreement was closed according to which the countries would help each other by reciprocal assignment of the premises for embassies.

Dačić did not rule out the possibility of joint diplomatic offices being a potential topic of some future talks.

Lukšić said that there is room for continuation of the talks on joint presentation in some parts of the world where this would be justified by economic interests.

Citizenship

The foreign ministers of Serbia and Montenegro said on Tuesday that the two countries hold crucially different views on the issue of dual citizenship, and that all possibilities for a compromise solution for the issue have been exhausted.

At a news conference after talks with the Montenegrin foreign minister, Dačić said that it is not possible to arrive at a compromise solution for the issue, and that Serbia will continue to allow for dual citizenship, contrary to Montenegro, which is, as he put it, completely legitimate.

He explained that there are examples for both options across the world, and that he also discussed the issue with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Đukanović at the time.

"In order to reach a practical solution, we need a full relaxation of our relations," Dačić said, adding that the issue has not been a subject of discussion between the two countries for two or three years now, as it is evident that the countries take completely different stances in that regard.

Explaining Montenegro's position, Lukšić said that "small countries have rigid legislation concerning dual citizenship."