Montenegro President Visits Serbia

The President of Montenegro, Filip Vujanovic, is visiting Serbia in what is seen as a move by both sides to improve relations between the two countries.

Vujanovic will meet his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic.

It is their first meeting after Serbia expelled Podgorica’s ambassador last year in objection to Montenegro’s decision to recognise Kosovo.  

On the cards is the appointment of a new Montenegrin ambassador to Serbia, and a potential agreement in principle over the issue of dual citizenship – contentious issue since many citizens in both countries possess or would be eligible for dual citizenship.

Observers say the visit, which comes after Serbia’s foreign minister visited Macedonia last week, is a sign that Serbia is keen to re-establish cordial relations with its two neighbours. Belgrade also declared Skopje’s ambassador to Serbia persona non grata after Macedonia recognised Kosovo.

“I think there is a chance that we can learn to live with new realities, that Serbia, on one side, accepts that Kosovo cannot be the basic criteria for its relations with its neighbors – or others in the world, but especially with its neighbors m- and on the other side, our neighbors must understand the delicate nature of the situation in Serbia and to not do anything to disturb it,” the president of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Foreign-Policy Council Živorad Kovačević told B92