Vladimir Djukanovic

The Higher Court in Montenegro on Thursday sentenced 13 people, including two Russian military intelligence officers and two opposition leaders, to up to 15 years in prison for staging an attempted coup in 2016.

They were found guilty of plotting to commit "terrorist acts" and undermine the constitutional order of Montenegro during the parliamentary elections in October 2016.

An MP from Serbia's ruling Progressive Party, Vladimir Djukanovic, told BIRN that a delegation of MPs went to Russia on Thursday to observe Sunday's presidential election, at Russia's invitation, and will have important meetings there.

A balanced resolution fairly presenting the situation in the Western Balkans is to be passed at the Oct. 7-9 fall session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Tanjug reported this on Thursday, citing the daily Politika.

Several MPs from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party have excused the attacks on journalists that took place on May 31, when Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was sworn in - as the EU again warns Serbia about its treatment of journalists.

Leaders of the two ruling parties in Serbia, Progressive chief Aleksandar Vucic and Socialist leader Ivica Dacic, have vowed not to form a grand coalition ahead of elections in the northern province of Vojvodina, leaving future arrangements to post-election negotiations.

"I would love it if we have elections and I think there is more of a chance of them happening in spring next year than not," Vladimir Djukanovic, an MP and member of the central committee of the governing Serbian Progressive Party, told BIRN.

Djukanovic said that early parliamentary polls would be a great opportunity to comprehensively defeat the opposition.

Ombudsman "has right to political opinion"- PM

NOVI PAZAR -- Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has said that "everyone in Serbia, including Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic, is entitled to a different political opinion."

Vucic added that "citizens will judge each (official), and assess whether they are doing their job well enough."

Sasa Jankovic, Serbia's ombudsman, told TV N1 that he does not feel safe because of the threats and allegations he has received since filing charges against two military policemen.

"Here critics are considers traitors," Jankovic told N1 on Tuesday evening.

KIKINDA - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who is also the leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), said on Saturday that the visit of SNS MPs to eastern Ukraine during the recent elections there is an internal party matter.

SNS MPs Vladimir Djukanovic and Branislav Blazic were in Donetsk during the elections, which are not recognised by Kiev.

BELGRADE/KIEV - Serbian Ambassador in Kiev Rade Bulatovic was summoned to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) over two Serbian MPs' visit during the recent elections in Donbass that Kiev does not recognize.