Šahman on the Resolution on Jasenovac: Authorities in Belgrade are gloating, and Montenegro's European path is further complicated

(Patria) - The adoption of the Resolution on the genocide in the Jasenovac, Dachau and Mauthausen camps will definitively damage Montenegro's previously good relations with the Republic of Croatia, which is an EU and NATO member.

This was stated in an interview with the Patria News Agency by Sead Šahman, MA, a doctoral candidate at the University of Sarajevo and a member of the Bosniak Council of Montenegro.

Šahman says that the partnership and friendly support of Montenegro's first EU neighbour was important all these years - from obtaining expert assistance to lobbying in EU institutions that worked in Montenegro's favour.

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Crnogorska Skupština usvojila rezoluciju o genocidu u Jasenovcu, Hrvatska najavljuje oštar odgovor

(Patria) - U crnogorskom parlamentu večeras je usvojena rezolucija o genocidu u Jasenovcu. Glasala su 42 poslanika parlamentarne većine, 41 za i jedan protiv.Poslanici opozicije, kako su prethodno najavili, napustili su skupštinsku salu jer nijesu

- The harsh messages arriving from official Zagreb last night and today will definitively disrupt Montenegro's bilateral relations with Croatia, further complicate the continuation of the European path, and also damage the current government's relationship with the Croatian national minority in Montenegro - Šahman points out.

He recalls that the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs reacted immediately last night after the adoption of the Resolution in the Montenegrin Parliament, stating that "Croatia considers the adoption of this resolution unacceptable, inappropriate and unnecessary, whose intention is not to build a culture of remembrance and reconciliation, but to instrumentalise the memory of the victims of Jasenovac for the short-term political goals of the current parliamentary majority."

/qpost/355192/Hrvatska-otro-odgovorila-Crnoj-Gori-Cilj-vam-je-obezvrijediti-i-relativizovati-Rezoluciju-o-Srebrenici

Hrvatska oštro odgovorila Crnoj Gori: Cilj vam je obezvrijediti i relativizovati Rezoluciju o Srebrenici

(Patria) - Nakon što je Skupština Crne Gore večeras usvojila Rezoluciju o genocidu u logorima Jasenovac, Dachau i Mauthausen, saopštenjem se oglasilo Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova (MVEP) Hrvatske./qpost/355189Crnogorska S

The Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, stated today at the "Dubrovnik Forum" that Croatia will take measures it deems appropriate regarding the adoption of the Resolution on the genocide in the Jasenovac, Dachau and Mauthausen camps.

- This is a clear message to the Montenegrin authorities that the continuation of Montenegro's European path will be significantly more complicated, despite the mild optimism that arose in recent days due to receiving a positive report on the fulfilment of interim benchmarks for the rule of law area (IBAR).

In my deep conviction, this is the response of the current parliamentary majority to the adoption of the UN Resolution last month declaring July 11 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide in Srebrenica, which was proposed by Germany and Rwanda.

Therefore, such an initiative did not originate from our region but from countries with a difficult historical experience in that regard, and Montenegro acted correctly when voting, as did all other EU members (except Hungary).

However, for the sake of internal coalition peace of the current government in Montenegro, such a reaction followed, shaped through the Resolution on Jasenovac, the adoption of which has caused damage exclusively to the state of Montenegro and its regional and international reputation.

It is likely that the authorities in Belgrade are gloating over such moves by the parliamentary majority in Montenegro, but let us recall that in December 2021, MPs in the Serbian Parliament did not adopt such a resolution precisely because of a possible integration slowdown towards the EU.

The fact that 43 MPs of the Montenegrin Parliament signed and submitted the proposal for the Resolution, and that it was passed with 41 votes, nevertheless indicates that even within the ranks of the parliamentary majority there are strained relations and disagreement on certain issues.

Jasenovac is undoubtedly a place of suffering for people during the Second World War, whose victims are paid tribute by the current Croatian state leadership, associations of anti-fascists and surviving camp inmates.

However, from the aspect of Montenegro's state interests, which at this moment has many other internal problems, priority should be given to solving and overcoming them - concluded Šahman in an interview with Patria.

(D.K.)