All News on Politics in Montenegro

The Venice Commission, a Council of Europe advisory body made up of independent constitutional law experts, said on Monday that the draft religious freedom law was a step forward, but urged the Montenegrin government to organise consultations with the public, including representatives of religious communities, amid tensions with the Serbian Orthodox Church.

President Milo Djukanovic said on Monday that he will not allow anyone to take away what belongs to Montenegro and warned of what he called "external" interference in the country's affairs.

Djukanovic insisted that the new draft law on freedom of religion was not intended to baselessly take away anyone's property.

Media in Serbia have accused the government of Montenegro of planning to "rob" the Serbian Orthodox Church, SOC, of its assets, while Serbian officials warn that a proposed law on Church property will worsen diplomatic relations.

Saturday's Church council comes after the Montenegrin government adopted a draft law which included a register of all religious objects and sites that were formerly owned by the independent kingdom of Montenegro before it became part of the Serb-dominated Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes in 1918.

The latest Global Peace Index published by the International Institute for Economics and Peace, an independent think tank that aims to measure peace and stability in the world, says the world was a slightly more peaceful place last year.

NATO's secretary-general commended North Macedonia on Monday for making the reforms necessary to join the transatlantic military alliance next year.

"We are ready to welcome you," Jens Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

Amid continuing fears about cyber threats to democracy, the US is deploying so-called "cyber warriors" to a number of friendly countries in Eastern Europe include Ukraine, Montenegro and North Macedonia, to help them resist attacks.