Podgorica

He will, along with Metropolitan Amfilohije, head the liturgy in Podgorica tomorrow to protest the adoption of the Freedom of Religion Act.
As announced on Friday, he will visit the Cetinje Monastery.

Mass protests of Serbian Orthodox Church clergy and their supporters continued across Montenegro at the weekend as the government and Church negotiate about the fate of the Freedom of Religion law adopted in December. 

Djukanovic, who has been running the country for three decades, spoke about the controversial law on religious freedom, which triggered mass protests of the tens of thousands of believers who regularly take to the streets, a few months before the parliamentary elections in Montenegro.

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.

Police in Montenegro on Friday arrested the mother and cousin of a leader of the opposition Democratic Front, Milan Knezevic. Media reports said that retired teacher Ratka Knezevic, 70, was detained at the family home in the village of Mojanovici, near the capital, Podgorica. 

Buying Influence

China's presence in the Balkans may be nothing new, but the massive increase in its investment in the region is something worth taking note of, as Visar Xhambazi points out in his comment for Balkan Insight. In the simplest of terms, he argues that China has been using its money to increase its influence in the region.

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.

How and why did the protests begin?

Protest rally in Podgorica, Montenegro, 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/BORIS PEJOVIC

Large-scale protests, as well as some road blocks, began after the Montenegrin parliament adopted the law on December 27, 2019.

Montenegro's Higher Court on Tuesday quashed the warrant for the arrest of Yoram Frig, who is accused of terrorism for his alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the government in October 2016.

The Montenegrin Culture Ministry said that the country has become the subject of an organised "disinformation campaign" since it adopted controversial legislation on religion which has angered Serbian Orthodox believers.