Anybody who is not able to accept independent and sovereign Montenegro is against the question of autocephalous Montenegrin church. They want monopoly. Serbian Orthodox Church is not entitled to appropriate somebody else’s property, avoid financial inquiries, evade taxes and assemble unlawfully hundreds f its priests in Montenegro. Its heads are not entitled to lead popular uprisings. Enough of that circus. They will have to be who and what they are: religious community as part of the society and nothing more than that, said today Montenegro’s president, Mr Milo Đukanović, in the press conference organized on the occasion of marking tow years since taking up on his president duties.
“The law has brought up the question of the survival of Montenegro. Specific structures want to take Montenegro’s destiny into their hands. That would mean bringing Montenegro to the Serbia’s altar. Do not offer us bloody formulae for the future of Montenegro and the Balkans”, Mr Đukanović said.
“We have renewed the state. It’s time we renewed the church. We have offered solution of one orthodox church which will bring together all orthodox believers. If SOC rejects that, it will be a national Serbs in Montenegro. But then we are going to create a church of national Montenegrins. And we will make sure such church is autocephalous”, Mr Đukanović said.
He states that SOC should stop undermining Montenegro.
“Even today, SOC claims that Montenegrin church has never existed, although documents state otherwise. SOC is trying to establish monopoly over orthodoxy in Montenegrin, which is turning into great-Serbdom”, President said.
He said that Bishop Joanikije and priests of the SOC had jeopardized public health and human lives.
President pointed out that statements on Montenegrin stability came from the most relevant political addresses. One of them is that Montenegro was an anchor of the stability of the Balkans and the other is that Montenegro is the greatest democratic projects of Europe after the fall of the Berlin wall.
Messages from Moscow: geopolitical plane
Mr Đukanović stressed that mistrust between the east and the west was scary.
“Montenegro has found itself in the line of fire. We are expected to give up on our future. Great forces can expect that. But Montenegro has decided to manage its own future. For its own national interests”, Mr Đukanović said.
He added that Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, had addressed him “on personal grounds, qualifying me as traitor of Russian interests”.
“Montenegro is loyal to its ideals”, Mr Đukanović said.Mr Milo Đukanović (Photo: CdM)
Statements from Serbia: Alleged vulnerability of Serbs in Montenegro
Mr Đukanović says that this is being promoted by the self-appointed leaders of the Serbian people in Montenegro.
“DPS is surely party which gathers the majority of the members of Serbian people. Some do this because they have benefits from Belgrade and others because they are threatened by court penalties. They are trying to manipulate part of Montenegrin population calling themselves Serbs. They have been instigating destructive energy for decades. And then hypocritically ask why there aren’t enough of them in state authorities, and they keep rejecting Montenegro and its authorities”, Mr Đukanović say.
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Photo: CdM
About Freedom House report
Mr Đukanović says that state authorities will definitely investigate the report.
“I don’t underestimate the right of democratic public to make assessments. I believe more in the assessments of the EU and NATO. Reporters from Montenegro who were involved in the FH research were not inclined to Montenegrin politics”, Mr Đukanović said.
Amfilohije has gotten a little carried away
Responding to the accusations of Metropolitan Amfilohije that “he didn’t mind Russian money while he was creating the country”, Mr Đukanović said that “that doesn’t exist as possibility”.
“Amilohije has gotten a little carried away. I don’t owe anything to anybody”, Mr Đukanović said.
Duško Knežević is a thief and pathological liar
Commenting on Duško Knežević’s accusations, Mr Đukanović says Knežević is a thief and pathological liar.
“The goal is to make Duško Knežević unreachable for judicial authorities”, Mr Đukanović says.
Asked how divisions in Montenegro can be overcome, Mr Đukanović answered that decision-makers “are trying to demonstrate required sensibility for differences in Montenegro”.
“The main division is within the orthodox being. Settling church issue is key to overcoming divisions”, president said.
Elections in autumn
Mr Đzkanović announced that parliamentary elections in Montenegro would be held in autumn.
“As president, I have right to take part in the campaign”, Mr Đukanović said.
I am president of all citizens
Commenting on the statement he made earlier, that some participants of religious processions “are movement of lunatics”, Mr Đukanović stressed that he “is president of all citizens”.
“Serbs are neither discriminated nor privileged. I qualified so those who work against their country, and celebrate the date Montenegro disappeared”, Mr Đukanović said.
