Montenegro and Kosovo Start Demarcation Process

Kosovo and Montenegro have started consultations aimed at signing the international agreement on border demarcation, a legacy of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.The commissions in charge of demarcating the borders between Montenegro and Kosovo met on Wednesday in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica.

They agreed on further activities necessary for signing the international agreement on border demarcation.

The first step will be preparation of the Rules of the Procedure for the work of two respective commissions. The guide for the joint working body, tasked with identification of the border lines and preparation of the boundary documents, also needs to be prepared.

„Both sides agreed that (…) the signing of the international agreement on state border will contribute to the development of good neighbourly relations, regional stability, respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty of both states“, Montenegro’s Ministry of Interior stated after the meeting.

Montenegro recognized Kosovo independence in 2008 which provoked fierce reactions from Belgrade. Montenegrin ambassador to Serbia was asked to leave and it took a year before the diplomatic relations between the two countries normalised.

The most recent European Commission’s progress report on Montenegro, issued on October 10, praised the country’s good relations with its neighbours.

It highlighted the pending border demarcation with Serbia, Bosnia, Kosovo and Croatia, as one of the most important unresolved issues between Montenegro and its neighbours.

So far, Montenegro’s border demarcation process with Bosnia is the most advanced. In June, Filip Vujanovic, Montenegro’s head of state, stated that that the border agreement between the two countries was being finalized.

Check Also

The Western Balkans At A Crossroads: An Old War From In New Geopolitical Compositions (Part II) – OpEd

The Western Balkans is transforming into one of the primary fronts of confrontation between global …