Former Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic has stated that Montenegro's membership in the European Union is a matter of the survival of the Montenegrin state, warning that the failure of this project would jeopardize the country's independence and sovereignty.
Pusic stated that Montenegro continues to have the support of the majority of citizens and the majority of political parties for membership in the European Union, despite the slight decline in enthusiasm due to recent political and geopolitical developments.
According to her, the main challenge for pro-European forces in Montenegro is to organize themselves politically for the upcoming elections and take responsibility for running the country.
"Those in Montenegro who truly want Montenegro to join the EU must win the elections. I believe this is the first task," she said.
Pusic assessed that Montenegro is in a different situation from other EU candidate countries.
"For Montenegro, unlike perhaps all other candidates and future candidates, EU membership is a matter of Montenegro's survival as a state," she stated.
She warned that if European integration fails, Montenegro will be left without real sovereignty.
"If they fail in this project, they will remain formally and legally, and of course de facto, without independence and sovereignty," Pusic warned.
According to her, the pressure on Montenegro comes mainly from Serbia and Russia, which, according to her, see Montenegro as part of a broader pro-Russian policy in the region.
Pusic added that the problem is not only external pressure, but also the existence of powerful political forces within Montenegro itself that, according to her, do not believe that the Montenegrin state should exist as an independent state.
"In Montenegro there is a part of the opposition that believes that Montenegro should not exist as an independent state," she stated. /Koha
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