Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic on Friday complained that some of his coalition partners were still obstructing a long-delayed ‘fundamental agreement’ with the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Montenegro PM Accuses Partners of Blocking Serbian Church Agreement

Montenegrin government session in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic on Friday accused some ministers of obstructing efforts to sign a fundamental agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church regulating its status in the multi-faith country.

During the government session on Friday, Social Democratic Party ministers complained that they had not been kept informed about the Ministry of Justice’s negotiations with the Serbian Church, the largest faith group by far in the country.

“This government was formed to promote reconciliation and reforms, but some of us have a problem with that. The problem is not the attitude toward the Serbian Orthodox Church, but someone’s desire to encourage ethnic and religious divisions in Montenegro. Whoever cannot promote reconciliation but seeks strife can exit from this government”, Abazovic said.

“I will not agree to political blackmails”, he added.

Montenegro has signed several “fundamental agreements” with smaller religious communities: with the Catholic Church in 2011, and with the Islamic and Jewish communities in 2012. But no agreement has been reached with the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The former government failed to sign a fundamental agreement even though the final draft had been sent to the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has to decide on a signing.

On January 15, the Serbian Church’s Patriarch, Porfirije, said the Church’s legal experts believed there was room to improve the agreement.

The new ruling majority is divided on relations with the Church. Abazovic’s Black on White bloc and the pro-Serbian Socialist Peoples Party insist on the signing of the fundamental agreement.

But President Milo Djukanovic’s former ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, and the Social Democratic Party are concerned about the deal and accuse the Church of promoting Serbian nationalism and of undermining Montenegrin statehood.

The same divisions arise in terms of support for the Open Balkans regional free trade initiative, which the DPS and others are against.

In April, Abazovic said the government would decide with a two-thirds majority on sensitive topics like the agreement with the Serbian Church, a census, and joining the Open Balkans initiative.

Foreign Minister and SDP official Ranko Krivokapic warned that the fundamental agreements can be signed only with a political consensus on it within the government.

“Our international partners don’t expect this government to favour the Serbian Orthodox Church, but to bring it into law and order. We need to resolve this issue, but easy promises will not bring anything. We need to agree before we promise,” Krivokapic said.

Minister of Justice Marko Kovac called on all religious communities to initiate negotiations with the government, pledging that no religious community will be privileged.

According to the 2011 census, 72 per cent of Montenegrins identify as Orthodox Christians and about 70 per cent of this number follow the Serbian Orthodox Church; another 30 per cent identify with the rival, unrecognised Montenegrin Orthodox Church. Muslims make up another 20 per cent of the population. The rests are Catholics and others.

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