Montenegrins

In the first such meeting since the country's parliament adopted a new law on religion in December, Metropolitan Amfilohije, the Serbian Orthodox Church's top bishop in Montenegro, has met the Prime Minister, Dusko Markovic, and submitted a list of proposed changes.

"This law de facto and de jure forms the legal framework for the nationalization of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church on the territory of Montenegro", Pilsel said in Ljubljana at a lecture entitled "Relations between the state and churches/religious communities in the Western Balkans", he held in the International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies - IFIMES.

Serbia's Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin attended a commemoration in Montenegro on Tuesday to mark the 20th anniversary of the murder of Yugoslav Defence Minister Pavle Bulatovic in 2000.

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.