Latest News from Montenegro
Anti-NATO Montenegrins Hold New Year 'Protest Party'
Several thousand people, led by pro-Russian opposition parties in Montenegro, gathered in the capital Podgorica on Wednesday to celebrate the Serbian Orthodox New Year while protesting against the country's membership of NATO.
Kosovo-Serbia Border 'Will Be Raised in Brussels'
Kosovo's Minister for Dialogue, Edita Tahiri, told BIRN Pristina "plans to discuss the border demarcation between the two states, Kosovo and Serbia, in 2016".
The next round of EU-brokered talks between Belgrade and Pristina are due to begin in Brussels on January 27.
Montenegro Anti-NATO Activists Stage New Year Party
The Serb opposition group in Montenegro, the Democratic Front, announced a new anti-NATO protest for Wednesday against the country's impending membership of the Western military allaince.
Kosovo Opposition Builds Resistance to Brussels Agreements
The ruling that parts of the Brussels-brokered agreements with Serbia were unconstitutional swelled the ranks of opposition protesters who caused unrest on the streets of Pristina on Saturday, experts suggested.
Bosnia Arrests Six ISIS Suspects, Seizes Weapons
A total of six Bosnian citizens suspected of having connections with Islamic State have been detained in a series of operations, media reported on Monday.
One of them was arrested in Turkey while allegedly trying to reach Syria to join Islamic State militants, Bosnian media quoted the state prosecution as saying.
Montenegro Invites Bids for New Mobile Operator
Montenegro's Agency for Electronic Communications, EKIP, said on Monday that there had interest from several foreign companies in entering the country's telecoms market, causing existing operators to express fears that their profits would be hit and the economic potential of the Montenegrin market reduced.
Montenegrins Invited to Register Illegal Arms
In a move to cut the huge number of illegal arms and explosive substances in private possession, police in Montenegro are organizing the voluntary surrender of illegal arms with the possibility of legalising such weapons as are allowed by law.
Serbia ended 2015 with lowest wages among ex-Yugoslav states
Among the former Yugoslav countries, Slovenia had the highest average monthly salaries at the end of last year - EUR 1,004.
Although salaries in Serbia grew the most during 2015, the average figure was the lowest - EUR 361, Montenegro's state broadcaster RTCG has reported.
Official tells Russia Montenegro is "South," not "East"
Montenegro's national assembly should decide on the country's membership in NATO, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Deputy PM Igor Luksic has said.
According to him," that is why there is no reason for the strained relations with Moscow, as the overall context needs to be understood."
Kosovo Braces for Opposition's 'Peaceful' Rally
Police and other security institutions in Kosovo are bracing for fresh opposition protests on Saturday, although opposition supporters have insisted they plan a peaceful rally.
"We plan to hold a peaceful march," Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) Movement spokesperson Frasher Krasniqi told BIRN.
Opposition to hold another protest in Pristina on Saturday
Opposition supporters will gather in Pristina on Saturday for a new protest against the Brussels agreement, the ZSO and demarcation with Montenegro.
In the view of the opposition, the first agreement - on a future Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) - "partitions Kosovo," while the other "gifts a part of the territory to Montenegro."
Orthodox Montenegrins Celebrate Christmas Divided
Christmas is a time for coming together - but not in Montenegro, where the followers of the two rival Orthodox churches - as usual - gathered to light their Christmas Eve Yule Logs in different places.
Montenegro to Build Cable Car up Mountains
A plan to build a cable car that will transport people from the town of Kotor on the coast up the mountains to the old capital of Cetinje may finally be realised if the Montenegrin government can find the right international partners.
The route will link the Adriatic coastline with Mt Lovcen, the highest peak in the country.
Serbian Church Urges Montenegro NATO Referendum
The Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro said that it was its "pastoral and civic" duty to ask for a referendum on NATO membership - a call which echoed demands made by Russian politicians and clerics after the Western military alliance invited Podgorica to join last month.
"Insulting to describe Montenegro as NATO and EU toy"
Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic says his Serbian counterpart's qualification of Montenegro as "a toy in the hands of NATO and EU" was "insulting."
Speaking on Sunday in the town of Bijelo Polje, northern Montenegro, Vujanovic said he "can't wait to have a good chat with (Tomislav) Nikolic" and "see what spurred him" to offer such an appraisal.