Milo Djukanovic

Montenegro's quarrelling parties have agreed to sign a landmark deal on the conduct of the next elections by April 9.

Under the terms of the agreement, the opposition will get ministerial seats in the cabinet and representatives in important state institutions.

Montenegro's SDP party said they were shocked by Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic congratulating Vojislav Seselj on his acquittal.

Montenegro's leaders are to meet yet again next week to try to resolve the crisis in the country following the failure of a no-confidence vote in the government in January.

The crisis, Montenegro's worst since it gained independence in 2006, revolves around opposition claims that the government has no legitimacy to organize general elections planned this year.

Montenegro can expect to become a full member of NATO by mid-2017, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said in an interview with Russian television Dozhd.

The interview has been rebroadcast by Montenegrin national television late on Wednesday.

Montenegro's Interior Ministry has defended police actions against anti-government protesters last year, saying they acted professionally, lawfully and in a restrained manner, in spite of being directly attacked.

Freemasons in Serbia are protesting over the recent appointment of their Grand Master as Montenegro's ambassador to Germany, claim he cannot promote the interests of the two states at the same time.

The Montenegrin Foreign Ministry sees nothing controversial in the appointment of the Grand Master of the Regular Grand Lodge of Serbia, Ranko Vujacic, as ambassador to Berlin.

The righting alliance comprising 50 MEPs and one European Commissioner on Tuesday said the EU's latest resolution on Montenegro last week demonstrated double standards and has ignored the "corruption of Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic".

Opposition parties and some prominent NGOs have called on Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic to dismiss the director of police, Slavko Stojanovic, after the police accused the Special Prosecutor's Office of illegally ordering the arrest of senior police officers.

The Montenegrin police accused the Special Prosecutor's Office of the illegal arrests of several senior police officers on Sunday on suspicion of involvement in organized crime and demanded protection from Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic.

In a statement late on Sunday, the Police Directorate complained of a "constant atmosphere of distrust" created by the prosecution.

Several hundred opposition protesters gathered in front of the parliament in Podgorica, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, who has held power since 1991.

Protesters carrying Serbian and Montenegrin flags shouted "Milo, thief!" and accused the governmnet of corruption, undemocratic practices and election fraud.