Montenegro

Montenegro's parliamentary speaker Ranko Krivokapic will visit Moscow and Kiev this week as part of the OSCE's efforts to help mediate in the Ukrainian crisis.

Montenegrin police said they had detained six men on Thursday, suspected of being involved in the attack on Lidija Jovanovic, a journalist from the opposition daily newspaper Dan.  

"We have a contractor and financier, motive, organizers, helpers and the direct perpetrator of the attack," police said on Friday.

Montenegrin PM vows to "deal with media mafia"

PODGORICA -- Montenegrin PM Milo Đukanović has denied his involvement in an alleged corruption case related to the privatization of the country's telecommunications company.

He at the same time said he would "deal with all kinds of mafia, including the media mafia."

Ranko Krivokapic, the speaker of parliament, on Wednesday said parliament will not re-open a probe into the controversial privatization of the telecommunications company Montenegrin Telekom.

Krivokapic said parliament had already done its job by "moving the authorities to start to work on this case. Now the prosecution should do its job".

Rasko Konjevic, Montenegrin Interior Minister, and his Kosovo counterpart, Bajram Rehxepi, were scheduled to sign a demarcation agreement in Pristina on Wednesday.

"The demarcation [of the border] with a neighbouring country is Montenegro's obligation in the EU accession process," the Montenegrin Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Montenegro tops tourism growth list

Tourism revenue in Montenegro is expected to grow more than 17 percent from last year. Also in business news: Turkey will begin to renegotiate its Customs Union Agreement with the EU by June.

Montenegro ranked first on the list of 184 countries expected to show tourism growth. [AFP]

Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic has set May 25 as the date for local elections, which will be held in accordance with the new EU-backed electoral law.

Elections will duly take place in Podgorica, Bar, Bijelo Polje, Danilovgrad, Zabljak, Kolasin, Plav, Pluzine, Pljevlja, Rozaje Savnik and Gusinje, Vujanovic said.

RS marks 15 years since start of NATO attacks

BANJA LUKA -- The Serb entity in Bosnia, RS, on Monday marked the Remembrance Day for the victims of the 1999 NATO aggression against Serbia.

Serbia was at the time, along with Montenegro, a part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ).

Regional co-operation leads to arrest of reputed drug boss

After five years on the run, suspected drug lord Darko Saric is apprehended in a joint operation between Serbia and Montenegro.

A motorcade carrying Darko Saric arrives in Belgrade. [AFP]

The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner Nils Muiznieks called on the Montenegrin authorities on Sunday to educate health professionals and adopt strict guidelines in order to prevent selective abortions.

According to the UN, some 100 girls are born for every 110 boys in Montenegro, while the usual ratio is 100 to 102-104.