Visit of Alexei Meshkov to Podgorica. Prospects for the development of the Montenegrin-Russian relations
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Visit of Alexei Meshkov to Podgorica. Prospects for the development of the Montenegrin-Russian relations
On January 18-19, Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic met with Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Alexei Meshkov.
As noted in the press service of the Russian diplomatic department "From Montenegrin side, the interest in correcting the current situation, which directly contradicts the interests of the peoples of Russia and Montenegro, is undermined the traditional friendship between them ...". "When discussing issues of bilateral cooperation, it was stated that the accession of Podgorica to the anti-Russian sanctions of the EU led to a significant reduction - by 40% - of the foreign trade turnover between the two countries ...", the diplomatic mission said.
"During the contacts the Montenegrin partners outlined Russia's principled position against the further expansion of NATO and the artificial involvement of Montenegro in this difficult period in the Russian-NATO relations ...", the representatives of the Russian side added.
So, according to ITAR-TASS, "President Vujanovic expressed in an open and friendly conversation the interest of Montenegro and its citizens in strengthening the traditionally good relations between Montenegro and Russia, the tercentenary of the establishment of which (relations) was noted in 2011 ...".
The press service of Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic, in turn, said on Monday that the president expressed his country's interest in maintaining close relations with Russia, despite the integration with Europe and NATO. "He (Vujanovic) expressed the conviction that the Euro-Atlantic integration of Montenegro in no way threatens the possibility of traditional friendship between the two countries. He estimated that at the bilateral level it is necessary to promote the development of relations in the sphere of education, science and culture, as in other areas, noting that the closeness of the two countries and the tradition of our relations oblige for this. "
During the meeting, the Russian diplomat "agreed with the assessment of the traditionally good relations, the significance of which is confirmed by the numerous visits of tourists from Russia and their rest in Montenegro," Vujanovic's press service informed. She also notes that Meshkov "stated the Russian Federation's views on European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Montenegro ". The President of Montenegro, in turn, identified areas, including science and culture, where the two countries should, in his opinion, expand their cooperation.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Luksic said today that membership in NATO and the European Union is a planned goal that Montenegro has long declared and for which the majority of citizens of our country are speaking, which is confirmed, among other things, by numerous public opinion polls opinions.
Commenting on the recent statement by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation for arming Dmitry Rogozin that Montenegro will regret the decision to join NATO, Luksic said different politicians make different statements, and that this should not bother anyone, RTCG portal reports.
We have reacted adequately to this statement and we are convinced that no one should question the sovereign right of each country, independently use decision-making mechanisms. Membership in the EU and NATO are the long-declared goals of Montenegro. Behind them is the majority of citizens, this can be seen from all studies of public opinion ..., said Luksic.
He also commented on yesterday's conversation with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov.
Yesterday we communicated in a very open and informative manner and we will take this opportunity to understand the positions of both sides. This is a prerequisite for finding a formula in the future, which will help us in the near future to improve contacts and intensify cooperation, to which the shared historical context commits us, "Luksic said.
He added that it is good that it became possible, after a long time, to openly discuss with the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia aspects of the Montenegrin-Russian relations.
"Meshkov's visit was substantial, and he achieved his goal. In the near future, it remains for us to identify areas of cooperation that we can deepen. We talked about this irrespective of the difference in understanding of certain processes. There are various areas that require attention from both sides, including based on traditional historical ties. It was a good opportunity, and I hope that this will contribute to a better understanding of the positions of our countries, "Luksic concluded.
Let us recall that on December 2 NATO sent an official invitation to Montenegro to join the military bloc, which Podgorica accepted the next day. The decision caused protests in the capital, about 5,000 opponents then took to the streets of the city. Protesters demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.
Similarly, in 2008 Montenegro applied to join the EU, and in December 2009, Montenegrin citizens were granted the right to visit the Schengen countries without visas, and in 2010 the "Stabilization and Association Agreement" required for membership in the The EU.
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