“AN UNNECESSARY BLOW TO INTERSTATE RELATIONS”: Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro went to war over Vučić’s statement!

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro announced that it is unacceptable and politically irresponsible to attempt to present the jubilee of the restoration of Montenegrin independence as an act directed against Serbia or the Serbian people, Radio-Television of Montenegro reported.

In the statement, the Ministry noted with regret that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, also on the occasion of marking the jubilee of the restoration of Montenegrin independence, continues with rhetoric that does not contribute to good neighborly relations and mutual respect between two internationally recognized states.

“On May 21, 2006, by the free will of its citizens, in a democratic referendum, Montenegro restored its independence in full accordance with the Constitutional Charter of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, the rules of international law, and the standards of the European Union,” the Ministry pointed out, reminding that Montenegro did not “secede” from Serbia, nor was it ever a part of Serbia in the sense that Vučić is trying to present.

“On the contrary, Montenegro and Serbia were equal members of the state union created after the breakup of the former SFRY, and by restoring its independence, Montenegro also enabled Serbia to continue its state-legal continuity as an independent state,” the Ministry stated in its reaction.

As they emphasized, Montenegro does not celebrate its independence against anyone — but in honor of the freely expressed will of its citizens, its historical, state, and identity uniqueness, as well as the right of every nation to democratically decide on its future.

“Particularly worrying is the continuity of the narrative which denies or attempts to relativize Montenegrin statehood, while simultaneously placing messages that encourage divisions and underestimate the democratic choice of the citizens of Montenegro,” the Ministry stated, emphasizing that Montenegro remains consistently committed to the development of good neighborly relations with Serbia, based on equality and mutual respect.

The Ministry pointed out that such relations cannot be built through offensive qualifications, historical revisionism, and rhetoric of political patronage towards Montenegro, stating that the jubilee of the restoration of independence will be marked with dignity, pride, and in a European manner — with a clear awareness that the decision of the citizens of Montenegro from 2006 was historically correct and strategically confirmed by the current democratic and European path of the state.

“Despite attempts to contest it, there is no statement that can diminish the significance of the restored Montenegrin independence nor weaken the determination of Montenegro to, as a sovereign and European state, independently determine its future,” the Ministry stated.

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“Public attack on the President of Serbia”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, without any real reason or need, is constructing a pretext for a public attack on the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, “dealing an unnecessary blow to interstate relations.”

Regarding the statement of the Montenegrin ministry that Vučić continues with rhetoric that does not contribute to good neighborly relations, the Ministry of Serbia pointed out that Vučić, exercising his inalienable right to express his own opinion, did not address a single bad word toward or in connection with Montenegro, but expressed a completely legitimate and in no way offensive stance, that he does not want to celebrate the separation of two close and brotherly states.

“We note with regret that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro continues to resort to rhetoric that does not contribute to the development of good neighborly relations and mutual respect between two mutually recognized, sovereign states,” the statement said.

The Ministry pointed out that in 2006, after the referendum in Montenegro, Serbia fully and without any delay recognized the independence of Montenegro and established diplomatic relations, thereby clearly showing that it respects and does not question its sovereignty, territorial integrity, or European path.

“However, this does not mean that Serbia should remain silent in the face of attempts to erase or relativize historical truth and facts,” the Ministry assessed, adding that both Montenegro and Serbia were members of the state union, but that for centuries before that they were part of the same state, to a large extent of the same people and the same destiny.

According to the Ministry, Vučić did not contest Montenegrin independence, but repeatedly reiterated that Serbia perceives Montenegro as a brotherly and friendly state.

“What he emphasized is that the independence of Montenegro cannot and must not be used as an excuse for denying the Serbian identity, culture, language, and religion of a large number of citizens of Montenegro, nor for encouraging divisions in Montenegrin society,” the Ministry explained.

According to the opinion of the Ministry, it is unacceptable and politically irresponsible to present every observation about common history or expression of concern for the position of Serbs in Montenegro as “revisionism”, “patronage”, or an “insult”.

“Montenegro celebrates its independence — and has every right to do so. But that celebration must not turn into a campaign against Serbia and the Serbian people, nor into an attempt to erase from history everything that unites us,” the Ministry announced, adding that Serbia remains firmly committed to the development of good neighborly relations with Montenegro, based on equality, mutual respect, and non-interference in internal affairs.

It is added that such relations, however, cannot be built on a selective reading of history, the denial of the identity of one people in another state, or on rhetoric that encourages confrontation instead of cooperation.

“The jubilee of the restoration of Montenegrin independence is an opportunity for both of our states to turn to the future — a European, prosperous, and common one, in which Serbs and Montenegrins will live as brothers, and not as strangers. Serbia is ready for that. We expect Montenegro to show the same readiness as well,” the Ministry stated.