WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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The President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, said that he sees the idea of returning Kosovo to Serbia as an impossible historical revision.
Kosovo is independent. I do not say this lightly because I know how difficult it would be for me to accept the reality if they said that Montenegro had to give up part of its territory. But I also know all the circumstances that led to the international community's decision to recognize Kosovo's independence - said Đukanović at the panel discussion "Development of events in the Western Balkans: Challenges to peace and stability in light of the regional and global crisis", organized by the European Movement.
As he said, in 1999 there was an attempt at genocide on the territory of the former Yugoslavia.
Those who do not know this may have the right to be mistaken. Those who know have no right to manipulate and suggest that we forget that part of the facts, that event led to the NATO intervention. When you enter a war and lose it, there is no choice but to accept the losses. Serbia's unreasonable policy at the time led to entry into the war, loss and independence of Kosovo. Accordingly, every attempt to go back leads to nothing - pointed out Đukanović.
He said that he does not perceive Serbia as an adversary and that he does not threaten their interests, but that he very consciously threatens the interests of Greater Serbia.
Osmani: Vučić changes strategies, not goals
Kosovo President Vljosa Osmani said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić uses different tactics, but the bitter truth is that while he may be changing strategies, he is not changing his goals.
At the panel discussion "Development of events in the Western Balkans: Challenges to peace and stability in the light of the regional and global crisis", organized by the European Movement, Osmani said that the agreement with Belgrade would have been possible if Vučić was not on the other side of the table.
I don't trust Vučić in the negotiations, but I trust our partners, the USA and the European Union, who, I believe, have our best interests in mind - said Osmani.
Osmani reminds that the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Aljbin Kurti, was a prisoner when Vučić "was Sobodan Milošević's Minister of Propaganda".
He also reminds that the President of Serbia stated a few days ago that he regrets that Kurti and other prisoners of war were released from prison.
He said that in 2023, not in the nineties. He said that he regrets that the Prime Minister of Kosovo was released from prison. It is unfortunate that we have such a situation and it does not give me hope regarding the position that Serbia will take, because in every dialogue you have to be constructive and contribute. On the one hand, you have Kosovo, which makes compromises all the time, concessions after concessions, which sometimes brings us to the edge of a dysfunctional state, and from Serbia we get a lot of words, sometimes some signatures, but most of the agreements they signed were never implemented, including the promise that Serbia gave in 2013 that it would dismantle illegal structures in the north of Kosovo - emphasized Osmani.
In this sense, as she said, there is not much hope.
I know that Vučić uses different tactics, but the bitter truth for all of us is that while he may be changing strategies, he is not changing his goals. Sometimes he says them clearly, sometimes people around him - sometimes in the form of the Minister of Internal Affairs or the head of the security service. He says that our countries are temporary states and that he wants to destroy them. It has the same hegemonic attitudes as Russia towards its neighbors. It is an illusion that they will turn to Western values - emphasized Osmani.
He hopes that a way will be found to bring Serbia closer to the values that are the basis of the EU.
We believe in them as we did in the 1990s, as we did when we declared independence, because we believe that by looking for solutions that are multi-ethnic and in favor of integration, we will work for the stability of the entire region - emphasized Osmani.
He says that, no matter how difficult it is, the Euro-Atlantic path is important for the region.
Speaking about the association of Serbian municipalities, she said that Kosovo is not against the rights of the Serbian minority.
In fact, even as we speak, there is not a single country in Europe or the world that allows minorities the rights that we allow. There is no system in which the constitution cannot be changed unless the minority also votes - here, the Serbian minority has the right to veto changes to the constitution, electoral legislation, laws in the field of education. So, we are not against the rights of minorities, but we have to ensure that the system does not become dysfunctional, that we do not turn it into the Republic of Serbia - emphasized Osmani.
What is important for the region, regardless of how it is in Eško, is the Euro-Atlantic route. Kosovo, as she said, never suspected that their only path was to the EU.
And the biggest contribution of the EU can be to open its doors to the democratic countries of the Western Balkans - emphasized Osmani.
Radulović: Not everyone at the ZB is dedicated to further unification and stabilization of conditions
The president of the European Movement in Montenegro, Momo Radulović, said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine brought about a wave of unification and unity in Europe.
We hope that this togetherness will have its reflection on ZB, that we have several strong steps towards the integration process. For that we need strong steps. We are undertaking some, and we are still waiting for some - said Radulović.
He believes that not all actors in the ZB are so dedicated to further unification and stabilization of conditions.
Obviously, some countries, including Montenegro and Kosovo, are doing their best to make the Balkans a stable environment. There are forces that have other priorities - said Radulović.
M. J. POBJEDA
