Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested an explanation from Belgrade

(Patria) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Montenegro has requested an explanation from the competent authorities of Serbia regarding the decision to ban former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro, Jovana Marović, from entering Serbia yesterday.

The Ministry announced that appropriate measures were taken and Marović was allowed to return to Montenegro after her entry into Serbia was denied at the border crossing at Belgrade's "Nikola Tesla" airport, with the explanation that it was done "for the protection of the security of the Republic of Serbia and its citizens".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested an explanation of this decision from the competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia, and expressed its conviction that this practice will not continue, as it undermines democratic values and hinders the further development of good neighborly relations and regional cooperation, which are the main prerequisites for building a common European future, as a key foreign policy priority of both countries," the MFA stated.

Earlier, the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, also commented, stating that he was surprised by the decision of the authorities in Belgrade.

"Banning entry due to different political opinions is a practice we must leave behind if we want to build good neighborly relations. The region, in the context of the EU future, should strive for open borders for citizens, even when they are critical of authorities and policies," Milatović stated.

Montenegrin media report that a possible reason for denying Marović entry into Serbia is her opposition to Montenegro's entry into the Open Balkan initiative, an economic and political initiative of Albania, North Macedonia, and Serbia.