Vucic: Montenegro violated the United Nations Charter and participated in the seizure of Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic wrote in an op-ed for the Podgorica-based newspaper Borba that Montenegro, just two years after leaving the state union with Serbia, violated the United Nations Charter and participated in, as he stated, the seizure of Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia by recognizing Kosovo’s independence.

“Dear citizens, amid years of lies about Serbia, its leadership, and our relationship toward Montenegro, after years of the dirtiest campaign against me, and my family, I wanted to address you and point out the facts. Namely, responding to a journalist’s question regarding the celebration of Montenegro’s Independence Day, perhaps naively but completely honestly, I said that I wished Montenegro every happiness and success, but that I did not want to attend that glamorous event. Although I did not insult anyone, did not utter a single harsh word, and threatened no one, as usual, in almost all Montenegrin media, just a few hours later I was crucified because, as the President of Serbia, I have no right to my own free opinion, my own views, or conduct that differs from what is expected. It took only a few hours for the guardians of Montenegrin and Greater Montenegrin thought to once again find me guilty of everything,” Vucic wrote, as reported by Borba portal.

He added that this concerns daily attacks on Serbia.

“This is not about me. If it were, I would not even respond. This is about Serbia and the daily attacks on Serbia. Yes, on the country I love most in the world, and it does not bother me that some other people feel that way about Montenegro. On the contrary. For the sake of truth, I will try to lay out facts, not platitudes, in five points,” he stressed, and then presented those five points:

1. Truths and lies about Serbian pressure on Montenegrin independence and alleged interference in Montenegro’s internal affairs

For decades, not years, we have listened to stories about Serbia interfering in all affairs in Montenegro, exerting political pressure daily, wanting to expand its territory at Montenegro’s expense, promoting Greater Serbian and anti-Montenegrin ideas, threatening Montenegro’s statehood, but failing because of Podgorica’s heroic resistance. We hear that Serbia is collapsing, that Belgrade is sinking underwater, not because of those who move there from Montenegro by the thousands every year, but because of Vucic’s criminal and corrupt government.

How exactly are we interfering and threatening Montenegro?

We accepted every decision of Montenegro’s citizens in a democratic and civilized manner. From dismantling the common state into a state union, to the results of the referendum on secession from the state union, to joining NATO. Your right, your decisions. We are different, that is true.

You did not bother us, we saw you as sisters and brothers and wanted to live in the same state with you. I admit, we are guilty, and forgive us for loving you more than you loved us. It also does not bother us that you are proud of NATO membership, we never said a word about it. What bothers us is that you dislike the fact that we want to protect and defend our own country ourselves, that we do not want to forget the killing of our children and people in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and that we want to remain militarily neutral.

Nor does it bother us that every day you speak about our interference in your internal affairs, while publicly dealing with nothing except Serbia. I believe there is no need to remind you that you spoke more about the Jovanjica case, misleading and lying to your own public every day, than you wrote about the crimes of the two biggest criminal clans on European soil, the Kavac and Skaljari clans, because apparently Kavac and Skaljari are villages near Kragujevac, not Kotor.

I will not even speak about providing a complete media-political platform for carrying out a color revolution in Serbia. Nor about the presence of Montenegrin politicians at demonstrations against the Serbian authorities. That became as popular as school excursions and recreational classes among elementary and high school students. I am glad, of course, that those excursions ended with sobering up from a political hangover, but we did not do that to you, rather the opposite.

2. Did Serbia threaten Montenegro’s territorial integrity, or did Montenegro threaten Serbia’s?

Every day we hear, both from officials and supporters of anti-Serbian policies, that Serbia threatens Montenegro’s independence and that it is important for everyone in Europe and the world to see and hear this, because apparently Serbia is the one causing Montenegro the greatest harm.

However, the facts speak differently. Serbia respects Montenegro’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and has never questioned it. At the same time, only two years after leaving the state union with Serbia, Montenegro violated the United Nations Charter and participated in the seizure of Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia by recognizing Kosovo’s independence.

To make matters even worse, you expect us to be happy about it and never say anything about it. We have remained silent for so long that soon you will begin explaining to us that the decision was actually made in the interests of your friendly Serbia.

And we are supposed to bow our heads and tell you, thank you for leading us into the future, because our foolish policy only dragged us into the past. Not to mention those political tricksters from Podgorica lecturing us about Serbian patriotism, claiming Serbia should go to war with the whole world over Kosovo, while their Montenegro must not even whisper about making a different decision on Kosovo’s legal status.

There they are no longer so brave or so in love with crucified Kosovo. By the way, I regret that I remained silent when top Montenegrin officials openly tell foreigners that Montenegro has equally good relations with all of us, some supposedly warring Balkan tribes, meaning Kurti and Vucic are the same, except that when I turn my head, Serbia and Vucic are the only problem.

To conclude, Serbia did not seize 14 percent of Montenegro’s territory, Serbia did not ask for Pljevlja, Berane, or any other place in Montenegro, nor will it.

Montenegro, brotherly, perhaps precisely because Serbia respects Montenegro, recognized Prizren, Gracanica, Decani, and the Patriarchate of Pec as parts of some other state, not Serbia. And we do not protest, we still love you and see you as brothers, just do not tell us that we are taking something from you.

3. What has Serbia done against Montenegro, or perhaps never has?

Yes, never, neither directly nor indirectly, have we accused Montenegro or anyone in Montenegro of genocide, while politicians from Montenegro passed resolutions three times about genocide allegedly committed by Serbs. Once was not enough, it had to be done three times. By the way, Serbia believes Zoran Gopcevic deserved to have the swimming pool named after him, Serbia believes the victims of Lora deserve justice, Serbia is not asking for the ship Jadran built by King Alexander, we do not want Prevlaka either, so for all of this we deserve not your respect, but your contempt.

You are right, but we will not change our friendly and brotherly policy, even when you tell foreigners that regardless of investment offers, you will never allow Serbia to manage the Port of Bar, while everyone else is welcome, although even a layperson can see that the port can economically survive only if Serbia relies on it.

4. The path to Europe and who is tripping whom up

I wish Montenegro every success despite the fact that every meeting of Montenegrin officials begins and ends with Montenegro pointing out the difference between itself and Serbia, because Serbia, supposedly under Russia’s malignant influence, did not want to impose sanctions on that global evil. Serbia is too large and Europe would have to allocate too much money to Serbia through funds, which is apparently inconvenient, while it is convenient when someone is small, because then the sums are presumably not large. We wish you every happiness in Europe, in NATO, wherever you want. And we will congratulate you on everything. And rejoice in your successes. Just do not force us to rejoice in policies and policy results directed against Serbia and the Serbian people. We may be many things, but masochists we are not.

5. What does Serbia expect from Montenegro and what is it ready to offer?

We respect and will continue to respect Montenegro and its citizens. You left our common family and we respect your decision, I repeat.

The only thing we ask is that regarding the Serbian language and Serbian national symbols, you show respect toward one-third of your population, at least as much as you show toward members and political representatives of those peoples who became your associated brothers and helpers on the European path. Just that. And nothing more. Long live the friendship between Serbia and Montenegro!

Let us recall that Vucic stated yesterday that he had received an invitation to attend the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Montenegro’s independence, but that he would not take part in the celebration because he cannot celebrate separation from Serbia.