Podgorica

Behind words about faith, nation, and freedom often hide naked political interests and a fight for dominance in society. The ongoing feud reminds us again of how questions regarding Church and faith are so intertwined with politics and power.

Hand in glove

While MPs in parliament in Montenegro debated the controversial religious law, many citizens, opposition supporters and Serbian Orthodox priests took to the streets to express anger over what they call a plan to steal the Serbian Orthodox Church's property in Montenegro.

A legislative committee session is being held today in the building, on which the Government's Law on freedom of religion is on the agenda.
The Legislative Committee of the Montenegrin Parliament endorsed the majority vote by the government's Law on religious freedom.

The meeting was attended by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic.

The Higher Court in Bijelo Polje has again ruled to extradite Gulenist movement member Harun Ayvaz to Turkey, where he is wanted for alleged terrorism offences.

The ruling, made on October 14, came after the Podgorica-based Appeal Court overturned the Bijelo Polje court's previous decision which said that Ayvaz should be extradited to Turkey.

"Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama had an essential condition that will not be subject to negotiations, which is that if Kosovo is excluded from the newly established co-operation, Albania will immediately withdraw", Cakaj said in an interview with KTV.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg said in a judgment published on Tuesday that the state of Montenegro must compensate KIPS because the mayor of Podgorica, Miomir Mugosa, prevented it from building a shopping mall in the Stari Aerodrom district of the capital in 2005.

Montenegro's Appeal Court has told a local court in the country to make a new ruling on a Turkish extradition request for Gulenist movement member Harun Ayvaz, who is wanted in his home country for alleged terrorism offences.

The first-ever Pride March passed off peacefully in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after starting Sunday at noon. After the participants gathered in front of the Eternal Flame, a well-known memorial dedicated to victims of World War II, a few hundred people marched through Tito Street, Sarajevo's main street, and ended in front of the state-level parliament.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Matthew Palmer as his Special Representative for the Western Balkans, France's press and TASS reported, citing a statement from the State Department.