Post by radovic on Oct 5, 2008 12:13:44 GMT -5
Montenegrin Kosovo stance "private debt"
5 October 2008 | 12:21 | Source: Tanjug
PODGORICA -- A Montenegrin opposition leader says possible recognition of Kosovo has nothing to do with the country's European integrations.
Earlier this week, Montenegrin parliament adopted a resolution on the Euro-Atlantic integration, that is believed to be a prologue to Podgorica's recognition of the Kosovo Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence.
Now Movement for Change President Nebojša Medojeviæ says that the possible move would have to do with "private debt and obligations that the regime, headed by Milo Ðukanoviæ, must meet".
Medojeviæ also described the resolution as "the regime's political project that uses manipulation and provocation", wishing to divide and cause inter-ethnic turmoil.
He told Tanjug news agency late on Saturday that the MPs from his party's ticket did not take part in the debate or the voting, since they "do not wish to participate in something that humiliates Montenegro and causes divisions".
Medojeviæ believes that at this time, there is not a single state interest that should spur Montenegro to recognize Kosovo, "nor is anyone demanding that".
"It also has nothing to do with European and Euro-Atlantic integrations of Montenegro," Medojeviæ said he was convinced after returning from Brussels recently.
He went on to say that recognizing Kosovo when the price attached to the move is a deterioration of relations with Serbia goes against the principles Europe stands for.
"The EU is in favor of good neighborly relations, which is not the case here, because while on the one hand good relations are established with Priština, relations with Serbia are deteriorating, and Serbia is, according to the regime, Montenegro's chief strategic partner," Medojeviæ told the news agency.
He also commented on Ðukanoviæ's statement that "the only pressure on Montenegro came from Serbian President Boris Tadiæ not to recognize", to say this "story" is "frivolous", and a testament to continued "ill thought-through policy that is being led from the perspective of the Montenegrin top officials' personal interests".
"The regime has invented a resolution and sent out a hint that it will recognize Kosovo, since it is known that it will cause a reaction from some parties, especially those from the national block, that there will be street demonstrations and protests, and that the public's attention will be diverged from the main issues," he continued.
Medojeviæ also says it is "a matter of days" before the recognition takes place, since Ðukanoviæ "must recognize Kosovo, and must do it quickly".
The recognition "must take place", he said, despite the fact that many officials from Ðukanoviæ's DPS, aware of the majority opinion of the population, are against this decision.
Medojeviæ added he believes that once the recognition has been announced, the opposition will take it to the streets in mass protests, and said he fears that, "just as was the case before", the regime will place "provocateurs" among the protesters.
5 October 2008 | 12:21 | Source: Tanjug
PODGORICA -- A Montenegrin opposition leader says possible recognition of Kosovo has nothing to do with the country's European integrations.
Earlier this week, Montenegrin parliament adopted a resolution on the Euro-Atlantic integration, that is believed to be a prologue to Podgorica's recognition of the Kosovo Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence.
Now Movement for Change President Nebojša Medojeviæ says that the possible move would have to do with "private debt and obligations that the regime, headed by Milo Ðukanoviæ, must meet".
Medojeviæ also described the resolution as "the regime's political project that uses manipulation and provocation", wishing to divide and cause inter-ethnic turmoil.
He told Tanjug news agency late on Saturday that the MPs from his party's ticket did not take part in the debate or the voting, since they "do not wish to participate in something that humiliates Montenegro and causes divisions".
Medojeviæ believes that at this time, there is not a single state interest that should spur Montenegro to recognize Kosovo, "nor is anyone demanding that".
"It also has nothing to do with European and Euro-Atlantic integrations of Montenegro," Medojeviæ said he was convinced after returning from Brussels recently.
He went on to say that recognizing Kosovo when the price attached to the move is a deterioration of relations with Serbia goes against the principles Europe stands for.
"The EU is in favor of good neighborly relations, which is not the case here, because while on the one hand good relations are established with Priština, relations with Serbia are deteriorating, and Serbia is, according to the regime, Montenegro's chief strategic partner," Medojeviæ told the news agency.
He also commented on Ðukanoviæ's statement that "the only pressure on Montenegro came from Serbian President Boris Tadiæ not to recognize", to say this "story" is "frivolous", and a testament to continued "ill thought-through policy that is being led from the perspective of the Montenegrin top officials' personal interests".
"The regime has invented a resolution and sent out a hint that it will recognize Kosovo, since it is known that it will cause a reaction from some parties, especially those from the national block, that there will be street demonstrations and protests, and that the public's attention will be diverged from the main issues," he continued.
Medojeviæ also says it is "a matter of days" before the recognition takes place, since Ðukanoviæ "must recognize Kosovo, and must do it quickly".
The recognition "must take place", he said, despite the fact that many officials from Ðukanoviæ's DPS, aware of the majority opinion of the population, are against this decision.
Medojeviæ added he believes that once the recognition has been announced, the opposition will take it to the streets in mass protests, and said he fears that, "just as was the case before", the regime will place "provocateurs" among the protesters.