Vucevic: Montenegro recognised "Kosovo" despite opposition from over 85 pct of citizens

PODGORICA/BELGRADE- The Montenegrin government recognised the so-called Kosovo's self-declared independence despite opposition from over 85 pct of citizens at the time, Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said on Wednesday, noting that, if it was up to the people of Montenegro, the decision would be withdrawn immediately.

Vucevic said this in an interview to Podgorica-based news portal Adria, in response to a question whether he expected Montenegro to derecognise the so-called Kosovo in the future.

He recalled that then PM Milo Djukanovic had said the Montenegrin government had recognised the so-called Kosovo despite the fact that more than 85 pct of citizens had been against such a decision.

"Had the Djukanovic regime cared about the opinion of 85 pct of citizens of Montenegro, the recognition of the so-called Kosovo's illegal independence would never have taken place. If it was up to the people of Montenegro, I am certain the disgraceful decision would be withdrawn immediately," he said.

"The time ahead of us will show to what extent the new Montenegrin authorities are ready to respect the will of their own people. Our job as representatives of a political leadership is to build the relations with Montenegro upon the principles of good-neighbourliness and respect of mutual interests," he said.

When asked if a decision by the Djukanovic regime to send troops to a mission in the so-called Kosovo was a stab in Serbia's back, Vucevic said one of the goals of the policy of the Djukanovic regime had been to fully "de-Serbify" Montenegro and conduct a forced change of identity of hundreds of thousands of people who considered themselves as Serbs and spoke Serbian, as well as to marginalise them.