Agim Ceku, known war criminal (see here), who, as an officer in the Croatian Army and with the assistance of the United States, committed the biggest ethnic cleansing in the recent Balkan wars -- the expulsion and brutal murders of hundreds of thousands of Serbs from the Krajina where Serbs had lived for hundreds of years -- has been received in an official visit by Milo Djukanovic.
Montenegrins can protest all they want about how they will always have a special relationship with Serbia, but Montenegro's official actions contradict such words. Words are easy and words are cheap. How about actually standing up for your demonized brotherland, Serbia? Instead, our beloved Crna Gora invites one of the most notorious anti-Serbian war criminals to come by, for what? Tea, perhaps? And a nice chat about how Kosovo will become independent and how it will then be only a matter of time before the Albanians in Montenegro start agitating to attach Kosovo and Montenegro to Albania?
Montenegro was always one of my favorite places in the world, but we've all heard how the beautiful Montenegrin coast has recently been sold to Russian investors and to Hollywood types. Is everything for sale there now, including every shred of the new country's integrity? Djukanovic's pockets must be bulging after Ceku's visit. I wonder that he is able to walk with that kind of money weighing his pockets down. Does he have lackeys to walk with him and help him hold up his trousers?
This bodes very ill for the future of all non-Albanians in the Balkans.
Montenegro was always one of my favorite places in the world, but we've all heard how the beautiful Montenegrin coast has recently been sold to Russian investors and to Hollywood types. Is everything for sale there now, including every shred of the new country's integrity? Djukanovic's pockets must be bulging after Ceku's visit. I wonder that he is able to walk with that kind of money weighing his pockets down. Does he have lackeys to walk with him and help him hold up his trousers?
This bodes very ill for the future of all non-Albanians in the Balkans.
Kosovo premier Agim Ceku visits Montenegro for first time
The Associated Press
November 3, 2006
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian prime minister, visiting Montenegro, said Friday his U.N.-run province will soon follow in Montenegro's steps by becoming independent from Serbia.
U.N.-mediated talks about the future status of Kosovo are under way. The ethnic Albanian majority insist on independence.
Kosovo's Agim Ceku, a former rebel commander, was on his first official visit to Montenegro since the Balkan republic gained independence in June.
"I expect quick resolution of Kosovo's status and its independence," Ceku said after his talks with Montenegro's outgoing Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.
Since NATO's 1999 air war halted Serbia's crackdown on Kosovo's independence seeking ethnic Albanians, the province has been run by a U.N. mission and NATO peacekeepers.
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian population of 2 million demands full independence from Serbia, while Belgrade and Kosovo's Serb minority insist the province remain within Serbian boundaries.
"We want to build Kosovo as a democratic, modern, multiethnic state with international guarantees for its minorities," Ceku said.
Djukanovic, the Montenegrin leader most credited with bringing independence to his nation of 600,000, said "whatever Kosovo's future status will be, we want to develop good relations with our neighbors."
Montenegro's pro-Serbian opposition has criticized Ceku's visit, and the Serbian National Party held a protest outside the parliament in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital.
"Ceku's visit is a stab in the back to all Serbs in the Balkans," party leader Andrija Mandic told the gathering of a few dozen protesters. "Ceku's arms are bloodied up to his shoulders."
Another Serb leader, Goran Danilovic, said Ceku was "not welcome in Montenegro" because of what Danilovic called his "murderous past" as a Kosovo rebel commander during the 1998-99 war in the province when the separatist ethnic Albanian guerrillas fought Serb troops.
Ceku denied committing crimes during the Kosovo Albanian rebellion.
"I never committed, saw or ordered any crime," Ceku said. "I was a professional soldier and I am proud of my past."
Koštunica warns Montenegrin government
5 November 2006 | 13:02 -> 14:54 | Source: FoNet, Beta
PRIŠTINA -- Serbian PM has warned Podgorica that the UN Charter obligates it to honor Serbia’s sovereignty.
“In her entire history Montenegro was never Serbia’s enemy. And since it came into existence, Serbia has never done any wrong to Montenegro”, Koštunica was quoted as saying.
In his opinion, Podgorica’s regard of Kosovo as Montenegro’s neighbor damages Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “in a most direct way”.
“This position was made known in a meeting with Agim Ceku, whom Serbia charges with war crimes against Serbs and not only in Kosovo”, Vojislav Koštunica said in reaction to the recent Kosovo prime minister’s visit to Montenegro.
Who neighbors whom?
Earlier, Kosovo government reacted to the previous Serbian government’s criticism of Agim Ceku’s visit to Montenegro.
Kosovo government spokeswoman Ulpiana Lama told today’s Koha Ditore that Serbia had no right to interfere with the neighboring countries’ policies toward Kosovo, as well as that the government in Priština will refrain from interfering in the relations between Serbia and Montenegro.
Lama said Serbia’s position regarding the policies of Kosovo’s neighbors must change.
“Serbia must change its policies and accept the new reality in the Balkans, as other states have done”, the Kosovo government spokeswoman concluded.
“Montenegrin history’s most shameful act”
Serb Radical Party (SRS) secretary general Aleksandar Vučić said Montenegrin prime minister Milo Đukanović’s decision to talk to Kosovo prime minister Agim Ceku was “the most shameful act in the history of Montenegro”.
“Đukanović did this for a huge sum of money, given to him by Albanian lobbyists and his Western mentors”, the media reports Vučić has said.
He also said the Montenegrin prime minister “was instructed to harm Serbia, by saying that the independent Montenegro will cooperate with Kosovo, and that there’s something wrong with Serbia”.
LDP: Meeting no threat to Serbia
Liberal Democrats’ leader Čedomir Jovanović condemned nationalistic outbursts directed from Serbia’s top institutions at Montenegro in the wake of Agim Ceku’s visit.
He added the meeting between the two prime ministers represented no threat to Serbia.
The Associated Press
November 3, 2006
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian prime minister, visiting Montenegro, said Friday his U.N.-run province will soon follow in Montenegro's steps by becoming independent from Serbia.
U.N.-mediated talks about the future status of Kosovo are under way. The ethnic Albanian majority insist on independence.
Kosovo's Agim Ceku, a former rebel commander, was on his first official visit to Montenegro since the Balkan republic gained independence in June.
"I expect quick resolution of Kosovo's status and its independence," Ceku said after his talks with Montenegro's outgoing Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.
Since NATO's 1999 air war halted Serbia's crackdown on Kosovo's independence seeking ethnic Albanians, the province has been run by a U.N. mission and NATO peacekeepers.
Kosovo's ethnic Albanian population of 2 million demands full independence from Serbia, while Belgrade and Kosovo's Serb minority insist the province remain within Serbian boundaries.
"We want to build Kosovo as a democratic, modern, multiethnic state with international guarantees for its minorities," Ceku said.
Djukanovic, the Montenegrin leader most credited with bringing independence to his nation of 600,000, said "whatever Kosovo's future status will be, we want to develop good relations with our neighbors."
Montenegro's pro-Serbian opposition has criticized Ceku's visit, and the Serbian National Party held a protest outside the parliament in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital.
"Ceku's visit is a stab in the back to all Serbs in the Balkans," party leader Andrija Mandic told the gathering of a few dozen protesters. "Ceku's arms are bloodied up to his shoulders."
Another Serb leader, Goran Danilovic, said Ceku was "not welcome in Montenegro" because of what Danilovic called his "murderous past" as a Kosovo rebel commander during the 1998-99 war in the province when the separatist ethnic Albanian guerrillas fought Serb troops.
Ceku denied committing crimes during the Kosovo Albanian rebellion.
"I never committed, saw or ordered any crime," Ceku said. "I was a professional soldier and I am proud of my past."
Koštunica warns Montenegrin government
5 November 2006 | 13:02 -> 14:54 | Source: FoNet, BetaPRIŠTINA -- Serbian PM has warned Podgorica that the UN Charter obligates it to honor Serbia’s sovereignty.
“In her entire history Montenegro was never Serbia’s enemy. And since it came into existence, Serbia has never done any wrong to Montenegro”, Koštunica was quoted as saying.
In his opinion, Podgorica’s regard of Kosovo as Montenegro’s neighbor damages Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity “in a most direct way”.
“This position was made known in a meeting with Agim Ceku, whom Serbia charges with war crimes against Serbs and not only in Kosovo”, Vojislav Koštunica said in reaction to the recent Kosovo prime minister’s visit to Montenegro.
Who neighbors whom?
Earlier, Kosovo government reacted to the previous Serbian government’s criticism of Agim Ceku’s visit to Montenegro.
Kosovo government spokeswoman Ulpiana Lama told today’s Koha Ditore that Serbia had no right to interfere with the neighboring countries’ policies toward Kosovo, as well as that the government in Priština will refrain from interfering in the relations between Serbia and Montenegro.
Lama said Serbia’s position regarding the policies of Kosovo’s neighbors must change.
“Serbia must change its policies and accept the new reality in the Balkans, as other states have done”, the Kosovo government spokeswoman concluded.
“Montenegrin history’s most shameful act”
Serb Radical Party (SRS) secretary general Aleksandar Vučić said Montenegrin prime minister Milo Đukanović’s decision to talk to Kosovo prime minister Agim Ceku was “the most shameful act in the history of Montenegro”.
“Đukanović did this for a huge sum of money, given to him by Albanian lobbyists and his Western mentors”, the media reports Vučić has said.
He also said the Montenegrin prime minister “was instructed to harm Serbia, by saying that the independent Montenegro will cooperate with Kosovo, and that there’s something wrong with Serbia”.
LDP: Meeting no threat to Serbia
Liberal Democrats’ leader Čedomir Jovanović condemned nationalistic outbursts directed from Serbia’s top institutions at Montenegro in the wake of Agim Ceku’s visit.
He added the meeting between the two prime ministers represented no threat to Serbia.
2 comments:
"Words are easy and words are cheap. How about actually standing up for your demonized brotherland, Serbia?"
How very true! It is indeed sad and shameful for Montenegro's officials to behave in this manner. With this action Montenegro has, unfortunately, signed its name at the top of the list, as the first government in the entire world to recognize southern Serbian province as an independent state. Their ancestors must be rolling in their graves right now!
I still can't believe it -- that Montenegro would behave in this way. It is incomprehensible to me that so much in this world, in the final analysis, comes down to money, not integrity. I believe that almost everything that Montenegro's leaders have done has been motivated by their pocketbooks and by the promise to Montenegro's citizens of a better economy and a higher standard of living if they will just allow their leaders to take them there. Montenegrins don't seem yet to understand the difference between this coveted higher standard of living and the quality of life, which they already HAD, but now are likely to soon lose.
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