WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
The European Commission's report on Montenegro, which was adopted by the European Parliament today, warns of the dangers of revisionism of history for political purposes, as it undermines accountability and deepens social divisions.
The EC, as stated in the report, condemns the glorification of war criminals and the widespread public denial of international war crimes verdicts even by government representatives.
"The European Commission has once again called for the opening of archives concerning the former republics of Yugoslavia, and for access to the files of the former Yugoslav secret service and the secret service of the Yugoslav People's Army in order to thoroughly investigate possible crimes from the communist era," the report, which was presented to the MEPs by the permanent rapporteur for Montenegro, Marjan Šarec, states, among other things.
It stresses that good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation are essential elements of the enlargement process, and the report commends Montenegro's active participation in regional cooperation initiatives.
However, the EC regrets that Chapter 31 could not be closed in December 2024, and calls on all parties involved to find solutions to the remaining bilateral issues in a constructive and good neighbourly manner and to prioritise the future interests of citizens in the Western Balkans.
The EC recalls that the use of unresolved bilateral and regional disputes to block the accession process of candidate countries should be avoided, welcomes the bilateral consultations between Croatia and Montenegro on the status of unresolved bilateral issues and encourages the authorities to continue implementing confidence-building measures.
Furthermore, the EC calls on Montenegro to apply a proactive approach to resolving war crimes cases, in accordance with international law and standards, in order to identify, prosecute and punish perpetrators and glorification of war crimes and ensure access to and implementation of justice, compensation and reparations for victims, and clarify the fate of missing persons.
"Montenegro should allocate sufficient resources to specialized prosecutors and courts and proactively investigate all allegations of war crimes and raise issues of command responsibility, as well as review past cases that have not been prosecuted in accordance with international or domestic law. The EC calls for regional cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of individuals accused of war crimes," the report says, among other things, adding that addressing these issues and protecting facts based on judicial experience are an important foundation for trust, democratic values, reconciliation and strengthening bilateral relations with neighboring countries, and encourages Montenegro to step up these efforts.
