The bilateral relationship between Serbia and the neighboring state of Montenegro has traditionally not been free since its separation from the joint confederation in 2006 amid internal tensions in the small Western Balkan country, in which a minority, which makes up almost half of the population, does not identify as Serbia as a Montenegrin and looks to Belgrade of tension. According to payhelpcenter, under the Vučić government there was a far-reaching normalization of political relations with the Montenegrin government of long-term Prime Minister Milo Đukanović. However, that has changed again in recent years. An alleged one that was uncovered and prevented on the day of the Montenegrin parliamentary elections on October 16, 2016, caused irritation in international relations Coup. Twenty Serbian citizens were arrested as suspects on election day, including the former head of the Serbian special police, the gendarmerie, Bratislav Dikić. The background and soundness of the allegation of a coup were initially unclear, the defeated pro-Serb opposition accused the regime of a staged coup with the aim of manipulating the election results. The Montenegrin prosecutor identified two Russian nationals as the main culprits and accused the Russian government of masterminding the failed coup. This version was supported by Western intelligence agencies. After initial tensions, the Serbian authorities turned to full cooperation.
Since the beginning of 2020, a conflict between the Montenegrin state, the government and the Serbian Orthodox government has been causing ongoing tensions between Serbia and Montenegro. The occasion is a new law on religion, which was passed by parliament on January 6th against the opposition of the pro-Serb opposition. International organizations such as the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe confirm the modern character of the law, but it has led to an open conflict with the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. It is about a clause that compels the Serbian Church in Montenegro to change the legality of its church properties for the period before 1918, when the Kingdom of Montenegro was annexed by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and to convert the autocephalous Montenegrin Orthodox Church and its buildings into the Serbian Orthodox Church rose. With the lawThe overwhelming majority of churches, monasteries and other buildings are likely to go to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which was (re) established in 1993 with the support of the government and claims the legal succession of its historical predecessor, although this only approx Land gathered around them. The passing of the law has led to massive protests by spiritual people and supporters of the Serbian Church, an attempted attack by Belgrade football hooligans on the embassy of Montenegro in the Serbian capital and the attempted mutual exchange of diplomatic protest notes, which the ambassadors in the two capitals ordered their governments did not accept. Tensions flared up again in mid-May,Violation of the Corona requirements in the city of Nikšić celebrated an Easter mass with several thousand believers. The subsequent arrest of the Bishop of Nikšić and other priests led to violent protests in several Montenegrin cities.
The conflict over the religious law also played a prominent role in the Montenegrin parliamentary elections on August 30, 2020, in which the Đukanović regime lost power to a diverse opposition alliance for the first time in 30 years. Although representatives of the Serbian government such as President Vučić were reluctant to intervene in the election campaign, reporting by the media close to the government in Serbia, which clearly positioned itself on the side of the pro-Serb opposition, led to renewed tensions between Podgorica and Belgrade.
For a long time, the relationship with Albania was traditionally characterized by distance – firstly because of the hostility of the two socialist regimes in Yugoslavia and Albania, and from the 1990’s because of Belgrade’s policies of repression against the Albanian majority population in Kosovo. There has recently been a historical normalization. The first state visit by an Albanian head of government since 1946 was planned for October 22, 2014 with Prime Minister Edi Rama’s planned trip to Belgrade. On October 15, however, there were violent riots in Belgrade during an international match between Serbia and Albania. The flight of a Greater Albanian flag on a remote-controlled drone over the stadium led to scuffles between Albanian and Serbian players and violent Serbian hooligans. The abandonment of the game was followed by heated mutual accusations and nationalistic statements by the highest government officials from Tirana and Belgrade and the agreement to postpone the state visit. The state visit then actually took place on November 10, 2014 and was generally characterized by the calming of the mood, but the stay in Belgrade was not without a “scandal”. At the joint press conference between Edi Rama and his Serbian colleague Vučic, Rama called on Serbia to recognize Kosovo’s independence, which Vučić and the Serbian media criticized as a provocation. President Nikolić refused to meet with Rama. The equally historic return visit by Vučić on May 27, 2015 to the Albanian capital Tirana contributed to further relaxation in bilateral relations.
