Montenegro Govt Criticized for Again Delaying Russia Sanctions

Montenegrin Government session in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

An MP for the largest opposition party, the former ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, Milos Nikolic, accused the government of ruining the country's reputation.

"The government continues to damage the country's international reputation… Those who are silent about Russia's aggression against Ukraine still call themselves European politicians," Nikolic posted on Twitter.

Montenegro said it would enact EU measures to ban Russian overflights of its airspace and access to its airports, stop transactions with the Russian Central Bank, join the Swift ban on seven Russian banks, and suspend broadcasting of Russian state-owned media.

Reportedly, the government postponed action on sanctions after a majority of ministers did not support Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic's proposal for forming a Coordination Body on implementing the measures.

Montenegrin law on international restrictive measures says the government has to officially confirm restrictions before their implementation and then send a list of measures to state institutions, which must implement them.

Before the government session, Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic accused Krivokapic of avoiding imposing sanctions measures on Russia, warning he will not support forming the Coordination Body while this government is in charge.

"If we want the Coordinating Body to function, the government first has to confirm sanctions. I am sorry that we didn't make such a decision immediately because this is a disgrace to the state of Montenegro," Abazovic told the media.

On Thursday, Milica Kovacevic, from the NGO Centre for Democratic Transition, CDT, said the delay to sanctions showed the...