Andrija Mandić, via Ibrahimović's MFA, congratulates Stevandić on NSRs founding anniversary

(Patria) - Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandić congratulated the 33rd anniversary of the founding of NSRs, "on behalf of the Parliament of Montenegro and in his own name".

Mandić sent the congratulatory message on October 24, and wished his colleague "H.E. Nenad Stevandić" "successful work and progress", which will contribute to the "further progress and prosperity of all citizens of the Republika Srpska".

Bosnia and Herzegovina was mentioned once, at the very bottom of the congratulatory message written in Cyrillic, as part of the postal address of the institution to which it was sent.

Montenegrin diplomat, Ambassador Željko Perović tells Antena M that it is not customary for the highest officials of a sovereign state to send congratulations to entities of other countries.

Perović sees the congratulation on the 33rd anniversary of NSRs as another provocation by Mandić towards official Sarajevo, following his meeting with Milorad Dodik in Podgorica, under the Serbian tricolor and without mentioning BiH.

- The Vojvoda continues to pursue a policy whose ultimate goal is the disappearance of Montenegro as an independent and sovereign state. This is a policy that most directly threatens Montenegro's foreign policy interests and priorities. First of all, it threatens our dialogue with Brussels and spoils relations with neighboring and friendly BiH - points out Perović.

Interestingly, neither Mandić nor Stevandić informed the public that the congratulation took place? There is no trace of it on the website of the Parliament of Montenegro, nor on the website of NSRs.

Antena M, however, learned from its sources in Sarajevo that the congratulation arrived and what it says.

Sources of this media add that the congratulation arrived at the cabinet through the Embassy of Montenegro in Sarajevo, thus - through the diplomatic network of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, headed by Ervin Ibrahimović.

Željko Perović comments on the politically and procedurally interesting situation, where Andrija Mandić congratulates NSRs on its anniversary through Ervin Ibrahimović's Ministry, as follows:

"Interstate communication according to protocol goes through the MFA. However, the minister, above all, but also his deputies and assistants were obliged to draw the attention of the Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro to these facts and the consequences that this act produces for the state of Montenegro.

If that congratulation went through our MFA, I think it directly harms the reputation of the state of Montenegro and the Ministry itself. If that is Mandić's goal, the question arises why the minister and the Ministry he heads accept such a role?

Besides, the minister, who is also the president of the Bosniak Party, should know that this congratulation is going to Banja Luka, where they do not admit that genocide was committed against the Bosniak people in Srebrenica, and it is being sent to a person (Stevandić) who directly participated in that most shameful act that happened in Europe after the end of World War II."

For Perović, the continuity of the Government's policy of quarreling Montenegro with all its neighbors, except one, is unquestionable. Unfortunately, we have witnessed this favoritism towards one country during the Government of Montenegro's different approach to severe tragedies in the neighborhood.

- The Government, of which the MFA is a part, has consistently pursued a policy of appeasing one neighbor, Serbia, and spoiling relations with all others since the beginning. Primarily with Croatia, BiH, and Kosovo. That is, it tries to resemble the Belgrade government in everything, which is at odds with everyone in its surroundings.

We have witnessed the Government of Montenegro declaring a Day of Mourning after the terrible tragedy in Novi Sad. Which is commendable. But a stain remains on Montenegro's honor because it did not do the same after the tragedy that recently befell BiH, with even more victims. Because it is also our neighboring, friendly BiH and the close people there - says Perović.

Antena M learned from sources it fully trusts that the MFA of Montenegro served Mandić as a postman in communication with his colleague, both by function and ideology, Nenad Stevandić.

"However, in normal circumstances, we would certainly have sent questions to the Ministry, in order to verify the information we have.

In a situation where, for years, we have never received answers from numerous state addresses, or we receive them when they are no longer useful due to the passage of time and unusable content - we decided to skip the standard procedure.

Simply, we have already given too many topics and exclusive information, which turned out to be true, to those who do not waste time on procedures and/or have special connections with centers of power," writes this Podgorica-based media outlet.