The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP) of Montenegro distanced itself from the speech of the Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament, Andrija Mandić, who did not raise the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the meeting with the President of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, in Podgorica.
On February 28, the MFA of Bosnia and Herzegovina sent a note of protest to the Montenegrin MFA on the occasion of Dodik’s meeting with the president of the Montenegrin parliament and the leader of the pro-Serbian right Andrija Mandić, during which the features of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but of the entity Republika Srpska, were highlighted, reports Hina.
In the response to the protest note of the MFA of BiH, it was stated that the Montenegrin MFA “did not participate in the organization and accompanying protocol activities regarding the visit of the President of the RS Milorad Dodik, but that visit was organized by the services of the Assembly of Montenegro, with Andrija Mandić at the head”.
Also, it is stated that the Montenegrin MFA officially informed the assembly of Montenegro about the omission because, in addition to the entity flag of Republika Srpska, the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina was not displayed.
The answer states that the Montenegrin government supports the completeness, sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH, as well as its state symbols, flag and historical continuity.
It is also hoped that this event will not affect friendly and good neighborly relations between Sarajevo and Podgorica, writes Beta.
During his visit to Montenegro last week, Dodik presented Mandić with a proposal for an agreement on special relations between the RS and Montenegro and praised the concept of a “Serbian world”.
“The Serbian world is a phenomenal idea that no one should have anything against. No one should have anything against Serbs organizing themselves, expressing themselves, building schools, going to church,” said Dodik in Podgorica.
Mandić, head of the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian coalition “For the Future of Montenegro”, which forms the ruling majority, is the only Montenegrin official who met with Dodik.
During the ceremonial reception in front of the Montenegrin parliament, several dozen protesters booed Dodik with cries of “fascist”, to which he responded by raising three fingers.
Before coming to Montenegro, Dodik had meetings with Russian and Belarusian presidents Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko.
