Government of Montenegro Abazovic

A year on, Abazovic has his deal with the Church and can point to a string of high-profile organized crime arrests. But while the work of the Constitutional Court has been unblocked, little progress has been made on reforming the judiciary, a key condition of Montenegro's EU accession process.

The signing of the fundamental agreement between Montenegro's government and the Serbian Orthodox Church. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Abazovic signed the agreement with Church Patriarch Porfirije on Wednesday in Podgorica, stressing that all religious communities should have equal rights.

Montenegrin Prime Minister-designate Dritan Abazovic at a press conference. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Abazovic said that the mandate of his government will be one year, and that its main task will be to prepare state institutions for next spring's early elections.

Montenegrin Deputy PM Dritan Abazovic and Interior Minister Sergej Sekulovic at a press conference. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Abazovic called on the Special State Prosecution to investigate his claim, adding that members of the Belivuk crime group had visited Montenegro despite prohibition orders.