Vujović: Is Mandić Aware That Croats Are Our Neighbors?

Reading the statement by the President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Andrija Mandić, one could think of two possibilities: either he’s unfamiliar with geography and unaware of our neighbors, or perhaps he believes we’ve declared the Republic of Dubrovnik, much like his political predecessors in the '90s tried to do. This could explain why we no longer border Croatia", says Ivan Vujović, President of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), commenting on Mandić’s statement made during his visit to France.

In Paris, Mandić stated that Montenegro has no unresolved bilateral issues with its neighbors, and that we are a stable country committed to fostering good neighborly relations, regional cooperation, and peace. "This stability and predictability make us reliable partners and a future member of the European Union, a union in which trust can be placed", Mandić said.

"Of course, there’s a bit of irony here. But the audacity of someone claiming that we have no open or disputed issues with Croatia is striking, especially considering that he and his political allies are actively working to sabotage Montenegro's interstate relations with Croatia. We have the situation with the Jadran ship, the plaque in Morinj, and the statements made by members of this government over the past year, which, as I understand it, led to two protest notes. We also have the statement by priest (Mijajlo) Backović regarding Croats in Boka Kotorska, as well as a series of incidents that suggest this government is working relentlessly to fundamentally damage and worsen our relations with our neighbors, particularly with Croatia", Vujović said.

"This is nothing new", he added.

"It’s a pattern that’s been imported — and we know exactly from where: our northern neighbor, the authorities in Belgrade, led by Mr. (Aleksandar) Vučić. One of this government’s priorities is to ruin our relations with our neighbors to slow down our European integration process and, of course, to redirect Montenegro away from the EU and toward what they call the 'Serb World'," Vujović concluded.