Montenegrins

Economic and trade relations appear set to grow between Turkey and Montenegro after Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited Podgorica on Monday and Tuesday, showing Turkey's increasing interest in the tiny Adriatic country.

The assembly of the Serb-led entity in Bosnia, Republika Srpska, is likely to adopt a "Declaration on the Situation of the Serbian People in Montenegro" at its next session, following the popular protests over a new religion law, led by the Serbian Orthodox Church, that have been going on in Montenegro for weeks.

Andjelkovic believes that the revolution will sooner or later end in the overthrow of the ruling regime and the democratic revival of that country.
"Djukanovic is used to not asking people anything, but it seems the time has come for him to be delivered a bill for such behaviour," Andjelkovic said in an interview with today's "Vecernje Novosti".

EU Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Commissioner Olivr Vrhelyi said that Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic had informed him that the Government was ready to temporarily postpone the implementation of the Freedom of Religion Act.
Multiple sources confirmed to "Vijesti" that Vrhelyi conveyed this message at a meeting with the Montenegrin opposition.

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic has told members of his ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, not to participate in the popular protests over the new religion law, led by the Serbian Orthodox Church, saying they are against Montenegro.

Montenegro's General Prosecutors Office has launched an investigation into the leak of a telephone conversation between what appeared to be two senior police officers on January 6, in which one said Serbian Orthodox Church believers rallying over Christmas would "get their asses kicked if they make trouble during the church gathering".

European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected the request to ban Montenegro from implementing its Law on Freedom of Religion until the Constitutional Court decides on the law's constitutionality or until a deal with the Serbian Orthodox Church is concluded, the Montenegrin Government said.

The rector of the Cetinje school of theology, Gojko Perovic, called for calm on Monday after a series of incidents between police officers and opponents of the new law on religious freedom, who believe the legislation is intended to undermine the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the country.

"Don't allow your religious freedom to be abused the way it is being abused these days in Montenegro, and it is being abused to bring down Montenegro", President of Montenegro and the Socialist Democratic Party said Monday at a session of the municipal committee of that party in Tivat.

As protests continue in Montenegro over the recently adopted freedom of religion law, the government and Serbian Orthodox Church have both called for talks on resolving the dispute.