I’ll be PM or president, Montenegro’s Đukanović says

BELGRADE Former Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic has confirmed that he will assume one of the top positions in the country. He explained that the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (DPS) would decide whether he would be a prime minster or run in the presidential race. I’ll be PM or president, Montenegro’s Djukanovic says In the end of 2010 he announced that he was stepping down and that he would only remain active in his party but he now says that a lot has changed in the last two years and that his participation in the election campaign has raised “certain expectations”. Djukanovic first came to power in 1991 when he was appointed Montenegro's prime minister. “We are now facing those expectations and we first need to say in the party what will be the best response to the voters who gave us an enormous trust,” he told weekly Novi magazine. Djukanovic expressed satisfaction with the election results and said that the Montenegrin government had despite the crisis managed to preserve the citizens’ trust, adding that the door was open for everyone who wanted to cooperate and wished well to Montenegro. He said, however, that potential partners needed to accept that “Montenegro is independent and that it has gone so far down the NATO and EU pathway that we cannot talk about an alternative”. Djukanovic believes that Serbia and Montenegro’s relations are about to be significantly improved and that the change of authorities in Serbia is “promising”. “They (the relations) were predominantly a consequence of the solving of Montenegro’s state-legal status in the previous years. Time is our best ally, it helps Serbia get used to Montenegro’s independence and Montenegro realize that it does not have anyone closer than Serbia, now that it has solved its issue,” he explained. On the other hand, the change of the ruling structure in Serbia is promising, according to the SDP leader, both when it comes to relations with Montenegro and with the entire region. “I see positions of the Serbian officials in these past few months as a readiness to have a constructive cooperation in the region,” he pointed out. Djukanovic said that there were still some “uncontrolled” statements, such as statements of Serbian Patriarch Irinej “who keeps poking around, questioning Montenegro’s state and national identity”. However, he said that such statements would not cause any consequences. The DPS leader announced that issue of dual citizenship for Montenegrin and Serbian citizens would be resolved soon. “We worked hard on it immediately after the referendum but we failed to make a final document. I think that it will happen in the absolutely near future, which is required by our tradition and everyday needs of our citizens,” Djukanovic was quoted as saying. When asked which Serbian politician was closest to him politically, he said that it was Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Cedomir Jovanovic. “I cooperated gladly with Zoran Djindjic's Democratic Party (DS) for a long time and all the people who ideologically had such a profile, were not only my dear political interlocutors but we also became friends in time,” he said and added that his positions on key issues such as relations in the region and the need for EU integrations were very similar to Jovanovic’s. He assessed that his country’s EU pathway would be dynamic but that one should pay attention to relations in the region and in the EU. “It does not have to be proven that Montenegro would go faster if the entire region went faster,” the DPS leader stated. Djukanovic rejected speculations that Montenegro was a corrupt state and that he was a “big boss” who was extremely wealthy, saying that such allegations were just a political need to disqualify him as a key factor in Montenegro. Milo Djukanovic (Beta) Tanjug

I’ll be PM or president, Montenegro’s Đukanović says

In the end of 2010 he announced that he was stepping down and that he would only remain active in his party but he now says that a lot has changed in the last two years and that his participation in the election campaign has raised “certain expectations”.

Đukanović first came to power in 1991 when he was appointed Montenegro's prime minister.

“We are now facing those expectations and we first need to say in the party what will be the best response to the voters who gave us an enormous trust,” he told weekly Novi magazine.

Đukanović expressed satisfaction with the election results and said that the Montenegrin government had despite the crisis managed to preserve the citizens’ trust, adding that the door was open for everyone who wanted to cooperate and wished well to Montenegro.

He said, however, that potential partners needed to accept that “Montenegro is independent and that it has gone so far down the NATO and EU pathway that we cannot talk about an alternative”.

Đukanović believes that Serbia and Montenegro’s relations are about to be significantly improved and that the change of authorities in Serbia is “promising”.

“They (the relations) were predominantly a consequence of the solving of Montenegro’s state-legal status in the previous years. Time is our best ally, it helps Serbia get used to Montenegro’s independence and Montenegro realize that it does not have anyone closer than Serbia, now that it has solved its issue,” he explained.

On the other hand, the change of the ruling structure in Serbia is promising, according to the SDP leader, both when it comes to relations with Montenegro and with the entire region.

“I see positions of the Serbian officials in these past few months as a readiness to have a constructive cooperation in the region,” he pointed out.

Đukanović said that there were still some “uncontrolled” statements, such as statements of Serbian Patriarch Irinej “who keeps poking around, questioning Montenegro’s state and national identity”. However, he said that such statements would not cause any consequences.

The DPS leader announced that issue of dual citizenship for Montenegrin and Serbian citizens would be resolved soon.

“We worked hard on it immediately after the referendum but we failed to make a final document. I think that it will happen in the absolutely near future, which is required by our tradition and everyday needs of our citizens,” Đukanović was quoted as saying.

When asked which Serbian politician was closest to him politically, he said that it was Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Čedomir Jovanović.

“I cooperated gladly with Zoran Đinđić's Democratic Party (DS) for a long time and all the people who ideologically had such a profile, were not only my dear political interlocutors but we also became friends in time,” he said and added that his positions on key issues such as relations in the region and the need for EU integrations were very similar to Jovanović’s.

He assessed that his country’s EU pathway would be dynamic but that one should pay attention to relations in the region and in the EU.

“It does not have to be proven that Montenegro would go faster if the entire region went faster,” the DPS leader stated.

Đukanović rejected speculations that Montenegro was a corrupt state and that he was a “big boss” who was extremely wealthy, saying that such allegations were just a political need to disqualify him as a key factor in Montenegro.