Context of Montenegro

Montenegro ( (listen); Montenegrin: Crna Gora, Црна Гора, lit.'Black Mountain') is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is a part of the Balkans and is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, Croatia to the northwest, and the Adriatic Sea to the west with a coastline of 293.5 km. Podgorica, the capital and largest city, covers 10.4% of Montenegro's territory of 13,812 square kilometres (5,333 sq mi), and is home to roughly 31% of its total population of 621,000. Cetinje is the former royal capital (Montenegrin: prijestonica) of Montenegro and is th...Read more

Montenegro ( (listen); Montenegrin: Crna Gora, Црна Гора, lit.'Black Mountain') is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is a part of the Balkans and is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, Croatia to the northwest, and the Adriatic Sea to the west with a coastline of 293.5 km. Podgorica, the capital and largest city, covers 10.4% of Montenegro's territory of 13,812 square kilometres (5,333 sq mi), and is home to roughly 31% of its total population of 621,000. Cetinje is the former royal capital (Montenegrin: prijestonica) of Montenegro and is the location of several national institutions, including the official residence of the president of Montenegro.

During the Early Medieval period, three principalities were located on the territory of modern-day Montenegro: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half; Travunia, the west; and Rascia proper, the north. The Principality of Zeta emerged in the 14th and 15th centuries. From the late 14th century to the late 18th century, large parts of southern Montenegro were ruled by the Venetian Republic and incorporated into Venetian Albania. The name Montenegro was first used to refer to the country in the late 15th century. After falling under Ottoman Empire rule, Montenegro gained its semi-autonomy in 1696 under the rule of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, first as a theocracy and later as a secular principality. Montenegro's independence was recognised by the Great Powers at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In 1910, the country became a kingdom.

After World War I, the kingdom became part of Yugoslavia. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the republics of Serbia and Montenegro together proclaimed a federation. Following an independence referendum held in May 2006, Montenegro declared its independence in June 2006 and the confederation dissolved.

Montenegro has an upper-middle-income economy and ranks 48th in the Human Development Index. It is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the World Trade Organization, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the Central European Free Trade Agreement. Montenegro is also a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean, and is currently in the process of joining the European Union.

More about Montenegro

Basic information
  • Currency Euro
  • Calling code +382
  • Internet domain .me
  • Mains voltage 230V/50Hz
  • Democracy index 5.77
Population, Area & Driving side
  • Population 612267
  • Area 13812
  • Driving side right
History
  • Antiquity

    Modern-day Montenegro was part of Illyria and populated by the Indo-European-speaking Illyrians.[1][2] The Illyrian kingdom was conquered by the Roman Republic in the Illyro-Roman Wars and the region was incorporated into the province of Illyricum (later Dalmatia and Praevalitana).[3][4][5]

    ...Read more
    Antiquity

    Modern-day Montenegro was part of Illyria and populated by the Indo-European-speaking Illyrians.[1][2] The Illyrian kingdom was conquered by the Roman Republic in the Illyro-Roman Wars and the region was incorporated into the province of Illyricum (later Dalmatia and Praevalitana).[3][4][5]

    Arrival of the Slavs
     
    Seal of Constantine Bodin, medieval King and the ruler of Duklja. Representations of the Saint Theodore and Saint George

    Three principalities were located on the territory: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half, Travunia, the west, and Raška, the north.[6][7] Duklja gained its independence from the Byzantine Roman Empire in 1042. Over the next few decades, it expanded its territory to neighbouring Rascia and Bosnia, and also became recognised as a kingdom. Its power started declining at the beginning of the 12th century. After King Bodin's death (in 1101 or 1108), civil wars ensued. Duklja reached its zenith under Vojislav's son, Mihailo (1046–1081), and his grandson Constantine Bodin (1081–1101).[8]

     
     
    Left: Petar I Petrović-Njegoš was the most popular spiritual and military leader from the Petrović dynasty.
    Right: Petar II Petrović-Njegoš was a Prince-Bishop (vladika) of Montenegro and the national poet and philosopher. Oil painting of Njegoš as vladika, c. 1837

    As the nobility fought for the throne, the kingdom was weakened, and by 1186, the territory of modern-day Montenegro became part of the state ruled by Stefan Nemanja and was a part of various state formations ruled by the Nemanjić dynasty for the next two centuries. After the Serbian Empire collapsed in the second half of the 14th century, the most powerful Zetan family, the Balšićs, became sovereigns of Zeta.

    By the 13th century, Zeta had replaced Duklja when referring to the realm. In the late 14th century, southern Montenegro (Zeta) came under the rule of the Balšić noble family, then the Crnojević noble family, and by the 15th century, Zeta was more often referred to as Crna Gora.

    In 1421, Zeta was annexed to the Serbian Despotate, but after 1455, another noble family from Zeta, the Crnojevićs, became sovereign rulers of the country, making it the last free monarchy of the Balkans before it fell to the Ottomans in 1496, and got annexed to the sanjak of Shkodër. For a short time, Montenegro existed as a separate autonomous sanjak in 1514–1528 (Sanjak of Montenegro). Also, Old Herzegovina region was part of Sanjak of Herzegovina.

    Early modern period

    From 1392, numerous parts of the territory were controlled by Republic of Venice, including the city of Budva, in that time known as "Budua". The Venetian territory was centred on the Bay of Kotor, and the Republic introduced governors who meddled in Montenegrin politics. Venice controlled territories in present-day Montenegro until its fall in 1797.[9][10][11] Large portions fell under the control of the Ottoman Empire from 1496 to 1878. In the 16th century, Montenegro developed a unique form of autonomy within the Ottoman Empire that permitted Montenegrin clans freedom from certain restrictions. Nevertheless, the Montenegrins were disgruntled with Ottoman rule, and in the 17th century, repeatedly rebelled, which culminated in the defeat of the Ottomans in the Great Turkish War at the end of that century.

    Montenegrin territories were controlled by warlike clans. Most clans had a chieftain (knez), who was not permitted to assume the title unless he proved to be as worthy a leader as his predecessor. An assembly of Montenegrin clans (Zbor) was held every year on 12 July in Cetinje, and any adult clansman could take part.[12] In 1515, Montenegro became a theocracy led by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, which flourished after the Petrović-Njegoš of Cetinje became the prince-bishop (whose title was "Vladika of Montenegro").

    People from Montenegro in this historical period were described as Orthodox Serbs.[13]

    Principality and Kingdom of Montenegro
     
    Battle of Vučji Do, 1876

    In 1858, one of the major Montenegrin victories over the Ottomans occurred at the Battle of Grahovac. Grand Duke Mirko Petrović, elder brother of Knjaz Danilo, led an army of 7,500 and defeated the numerically superior Ottomans with 15,000 troops at Grahovac on 1 May 1858. This forced the Great Powers to officially demarcate the borders between Montenegro and Ottoman Empire, de facto recognizing Montenegro's independence.

    In the Battle of Vučji Do Montenegrins inflicted a major defeat on the Ottoman Army under Grand Vizier Ahmed Muhtar Pasha. In the aftermath of the Russian victory against the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, the major powers restructured the map of the Balkan region. The Ottoman Empire recognised the independence of Montenegro in the Treaty of Berlin in 1878.

    The first Montenegrin constitution (also known as the Danilo Code) was proclaimed in 1855. Under Nicholas I (ruled 1860–1918), the principality was enlarged several times in the Montenegro-Turkish Wars and was recognised as independent in 1878. Nicholas I established diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire.[citation needed] Minor border skirmishes excepted, diplomacy ushered in about 30 years of peace between the two states until the deposition of Abdul Hamid II in 1909.[14]

     
    Royal family of Montenegro: King Nicholas I with his wife, sons, daughters, grandchildren and sons- and daughters-in-law

    The political skills of Abdul Hamid II and Nicholas I played a major role in the mutually amicable relations.[14] Modernization of the state followed, culminating with the draft of a Constitution in 1905. However, political rifts emerged between the reigning People's Party, who supported the process of democratisation and union with Serbia, and those of the True People's Party, who were monarchist.

    In 1910, Montenegro became a kingdom, and as a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, a common border with Serbia was established, with Shkodër being awarded to Albania, though the current capital city of Montenegro, Podgorica, was on the old border of Albania and Yugoslavia. Montenegro became one of the Allied Powers during World War I (1914–18). In the Battle of Mojkovac fought in January 1916 between Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegrins achieved a decisive victory even though they were outnumbered five to one. The Austro-Hungarians accepted military surrender on 25 January 1916.[15] From 1916 to October 1918 Austria-Hungary occupied Montenegro. During the occupation, King Nicholas fled the country and established a government-in-exile in Bordeaux.

     
    Expansion of Montenegro from 1711 to 1918 within present borders
    Kingdom of Yugoslavia

    In 1922, Montenegro formally became the Oblast of Cetinje in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, with the addition of the coastal areas around Budva and Bay of Kotor. In a further restructuring in 1929, it became a part of a larger Zeta Banate of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia that reached the Neretva River.

    Nicholas's grandson, the Serb King Alexander I, dominated the Yugoslav government. Zeta Banovina was one of nine banovinas that formed the kingdom; it consisted of the present-day Montenegro and parts of Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia.

    World War II and Socialist Yugoslavia

    In April 1941, Nazi Germany, the Kingdom of Italy, and other Axis allies attacked and occupied the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Italian forces occupied Montenegro and established a puppet Kingdom of Montenegro.

     
    Great People's Assembly on the occasion of the establishment of the Eighth Montenegrin Brigade in Berane, February 25, 1944.

    In May, the Montenegrin branch of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia started preparations for an uprising planned for mid-July. The Communist Party and its Youth League organised 6,000 of its members into detachments prepared for guerrilla warfare. According to some historians, the first armed uprising in Nazi-occupied Europe happened on 13 July 1941 in Montenegro.[16]

    Unexpectedly, the uprising took hold, and by 20 July, 32,000 men and women had joined the fight. Except for the coast and major towns (Podgorica, Cetinje, Pljevlja, and Nikšić), which were besieged, Montenegro was mostly liberated. In a month of fighting, the Italian army suffered 5,000 dead, wounded, and captured. The uprising lasted until mid-August, when it was suppressed by a counter-offensive of 67,000 Italian troops brought in from Albania. Faced with new and overwhelming Italian forces, many of the fighters laid down their arms and returned home. Nevertheless, intense guerrilla fighting lasted until December.

    Fighters who remained under arms fractured into two groups. Most of them went on to join the Yugoslav Partisans, consisting of communists and those inclined towards active resistance; these included Arso Jovanović, Sava Kovačević, Svetozar Vukmanović-Tempo, Milovan Đilas, Peko Dapčević, Vlado Dapčević, Veljko Vlahović, and Blažo Jovanović. Those loyal to the Karađorđević dynasty and opposing communism went on to become Chetniks, and turned to collaboration with Italians against the Partisans.

     
    Captured ships of the Yugoslav Navy, Bay of Kotor 1941

    War broke out between Partisans and Chetniks during the first half of 1942. Pressured by Italians and Chetniks, the core of the Montenegrin Partisans went to Serbia and Bosnia, where they joined with other Yugoslav Partisans. Fighting between Partisans and Chetniks continued through the war. Chetniks with Italian backing controlled most of the country from mid-1942 to April 1943. Montenegrin Chetniks received the status of "anti-communist militia" and received weapons, ammunition, food rations, and money from Italy. Most of them were moved to Mostar, where they fought in the Battle of Neretva against the Partisans, but were dealt a heavy defeat.

    During German operation Schwartz against the Partisans in May and June 1943, Germans disarmed many Chetniks without fighting, as they feared they would turn against them in case of an Allied invasion of the Balkans. After the capitulation of Italy in September 1943, Partisans managed to take hold of most of Montenegro for a brief time, but Montenegro was soon occupied by German forces, and fierce fighting continued during late 1943 and 1944. Montenegro was liberated by the Partisans in December 1944.

    Montenegro became one of the six constituent republics of the communist Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Its capital became Podgorica, renamed Titograd in honour of President Josip Broz Tito. After the war, the infrastructure of Yugoslavia was rebuilt, industrialization began, and the University of Montenegro was established. Greater autonomy was established until the Socialist Republic of Montenegro ratified a new constitution in 1974.[17][18]

    Montenegro within FR Yugoslavia
     
    Opening of Belgrade–Bar railway. Construction of the line started in the 1950s and completed in 1976. The line was opened in 1976 by the Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito

    After the dissolution of the SFRY in 1992, Montenegro remained part of a smaller Federal Republic of Yugoslavia along with Serbia. In the referendum on remaining in Yugoslavia in 1992, the turnout was 66%, with 96% of the votes cast in favour of the federation with Serbia. The referendum was boycotted by the Muslim, Albanian, and Catholic minorities, as well as pro-independence Montenegrins. The opponents claimed that the poll was organised under anti-democratic conditions with widespread propaganda from the state-controlled media in favour of a pro-federation vote. No impartial report on the fairness of the referendum was made, as it was unmonitored, unlike in a later 2006 referendum when European Union observers were present.

    During the 1991–1995 Bosnian War and Croatian War, Montenegrin police and military forces joined Serbian troops in attacks on Dubrovnik, Croatia.[19] These operations, aimed at acquiring more territory, were characterised by large-scale violations of human rights.[20]

    Montenegrin General Pavle Strugar was convicted for his part in the bombing of Dubrovnik.[21] Bosnian refugees were arrested by Montenegrin police and transported to Serb camps in Foča, where they were subjected to systematic torture and executed.[22]

     
    Map of the disintegration of Yugoslavia until 2008

    In 1996, Milo Đukanović's government severed ties between Montenegro and its partner Serbia, which was led by Slobodan Milošević. Montenegro formed its own economic policy and adopted the German Deutsche Mark as its currency and subsequently adopted the euro, although not part of the Eurozone. Subsequent governments pursued pro-independence policies, and political tensions with Serbia simmered despite political changes in Belgrade.

    Targets in Montenegro were bombed by NATO forces during Operation Allied Force in 1999, although the extent of these attacks was limited in both time and area affected.[23]

    In 2002, Serbia and Montenegro came to a new agreement for continued cooperation and entered into negotiations regarding the future status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This resulted in the Belgrade Agreement, which saw the country's transformation into a more decentralised state union named Serbia and Montenegro in 2003. The Belgrade Agreement also contained a provision delaying any future referendum on the independence of Montenegro for at least three years.

    Independence
     
    Supporters of Montenegrin independence in June 2006 in Cetinje

    The status of the union between Montenegro and Serbia was decided by a referendum on Montenegrin independence on 21 May 2006. A total of 419,240 votes were cast, representing 86.5% of the electorate; 230,661 votes (55.5%) were for independence and 185,002 votes (44.5%) were against.[24] This narrowly surpassed the 55% threshold needed to validate the referendum under the rules set by the European Union. According to the electoral commission, the 55% threshold was passed by only 2,300 votes. Serbia, the member-states of the European Union, and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council all recognised Montenegro's independence.

    The 2006 referendum was monitored by five international observer missions, headed by an OSCE/ODIHR team, and around 3,000 observers in total (including domestic observers from CDT (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE), and the European Parliament (EP) to form an International Referendum Observation Mission (IROM). The IROM—in its preliminary report—"assessed compliance of the referendum process with OSCE commitments, Council of Europe commitments, other international standards for democratic electoral processes, and domestic legislation." Furthermore, the report stated that the competitive pre-referendum environment was marked by an active and generally peaceful campaign and that "there were no reports of restrictions on fundamental civil and political rights."

    On 3 June 2006, the Montenegrin Parliament declared the independence of Montenegro,[25] formally confirming the result of the referendum.

     
    Montenegro Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanović presents a document to US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon and Montenegro Prime Minister Duško Marković during a ceremony at the State Department to accept Montenegro's instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

    On 28 June 2006, Montenegro joined the United Nations as its 192nd member state.[26]

    The Law on the Status of the Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty was passed by the Parliament of Montenegro on 12 July 2011. It rehabilitated the Royal House of Montenegro and recognised limited symbolic roles within the constitutional framework of the republic.

    In 2015, the investigative journalists' network OCCRP named Montenegro's long-time President and Prime Minister Milo Đukanović "Person of the Year in Organized Crime".[27] The extent of Đukanović's corruption led to street demonstrations and calls for his removal.[28][29]

    In October 2016, for the day of the parliamentary election, a coup d'état was prepared by a group of persons that included leaders of the Montenegrin opposition, Serbian nationals and Russian agents; the coup was prevented.[30] In 2017, fourteen people, including two Russian nationals and two Montenegrin opposition leaders, Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević, were indicted for their alleged roles in the coup attempt on charges such as "preparing a conspiracy against the constitutional order and the security of Montenegro" and an "attempted terrorist act."[31]

    Recent history
     
    The controversial 2019 law on religious communities, introduced by the former ruling DPS, proposed the transfer of the majority of religious objects and land owned by the largest religious organization in the country, the SPC, to the Montenegrin state. It sparked a series of massive protests across the country, which led to the first government change in the country's history.

    Montenegro formally became a member of NATO in June 2017, though "Montenegro remains deeply divided over joining NATO",[32] an event that triggered a promise of retaliatory actions from Russia's government.[33][34][35]

    Montenegro has been in negotiations with the EU since 2012. In 2018, the earlier goal of acceding by 2022[36] was revised to 2025.[37]

    In April 2018, Milo Djukanovic, the leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), won Montenegro's presidential election. The veteran politician had served as Prime Minister six times and as president once before. He had dominated Montenegrin politics since 1991.[38]

    Anti-corruption protests began in February 2019 against Đukanović and the Prime Minister Duško Marković-led government of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which had been in power since 1991.[39][40]

    As of late December 2019, the newly adopted Law on Religion, which de jure transferred the ownership of church buildings and estates built before 1918 from the Serbian Orthodox Church to the Montenegrin state,[41][42] sparked large[43] protests and road blockages.[44] Seventeen opposition Democratic Front MPs were arrested prior to the voting for disrupting the vote.[45] Demonstrations continued into March[46] 2020 as peaceful protest walks, mostly organised by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and the Eparchy of Budimlja and Nikšić in the majority of Montenegrin municipalities.[47][48][49]

    In its political rights and civil liberties worldwide report in May 2020, Freedom House marked Montenegro as a hybrid regime rather than a democracy because of declining standards in governance, justice, elections, and media freedom.[50][51] For the first time in three decades, in the 2020 parliamentary election, the opposition won more votes than Đukanović's ruling party.[52] In February 2022, that very same government was voted out in the first successful vote of no-confidence in the country's history.[53]

    In March 2023, Jakov Milatovic, a pro-western candidate of the Europe Now movement, won the presidential election run-off over incumbent Milo Djukanovic to succeed him as the next President of Montenegro.[54]

    ^ John Boardman. The prehistory of the Balkans and the Middle East and the Aegean world. Cambridge University Press, 1982. ISBN 978-0-521-22496-3, p. 629 ^ Wilkes John. The Illyrians. Wiley-Blackwell, 1995, ISBN 978-0-631-19807-9, p. 92 ^ Livy, The History of Rome, 45.26.11-15 ^ Appian, the Foreign Wars, The Illyrian wars, Book 10, The Illyirian Wars; Loeb Classical Library, Vol II, Books 8.2-12, Harvard University Press, 1912; ISBN 978-0674990043 [1], 10.18-27 ^ Cassius Dio, Roman History, Vol 6, Books 51-65 (Loeb Classical Library), Loeb, 1989; ISBN 978-0674990920 [2]? 49.37-38 ^ Cite error: The named reference Luscombe was invoked but never defined (see the help page). ^ Cite error: The named reference Sedlar was invoked but never defined (see the help page). ^ "Duklja, the first Montenegrin state". Montenegro.org. Archived from the original on 16 January 1997. Retrieved 7 December 2012. ^ Schmitt, Oliver Jens (2001). Das Venezianische Albanien (1392–1479). Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-486-56569-0. ^ "News ITALIA PRESS". 28 September 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2021. ^ "City ... Budva History And Culture.html". www.montenegro.com. Retrieved 8 April 2021. ^ "The History of Cetinje". Visit Montenegro. Retrieved 22 June 2021. ^ Crampton, R. J.; Crampton, R. J.; UK), R. J. (St Edmund's College Crampton, University of Oxford (1997). Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century-- and After. Psychology Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-415-16422-1. ^ a b Uğur Özcan, II. Abdülhamid Dönemi Osmanlı-Karadağ Siyasi İlişkileri (Political relations between the Ottoman Empire and Montenegro in the Abdul Hamid II era) Türk Tarih Kurumu, Ankara 2013. ISBN 9789751625274 ^ Pope, Wheal & Robbins 2003, p. 431. ^ "Prema oceni istoričara, Trinaestojulski ustanak bio je prvi i najmasovniji oružani otpor u porobljenoj Evropi 1941. godine" (in Serbian). B92.net. Retrieved 7 December 2012. ^ Roberts, Adam (1978). "Yugoslavia: The Constitution and the Succession". The World Today. Royal Institute of International Affairs. 34 (4): 136–146. ISSN 0043-9134. JSTOR 40395044. Retrieved 22 June 2021. ^ Ustav Socijalističke Federativne : Republike Jugoslavije (1974). Mojustav.rs. Retrieved 18 January 2021. ^ "Bombing of Dubrovnik". Croatiatraveller.com. Retrieved 7 December 2012. ^ "A/RES/47/121. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina". United Nations. Retrieved 7 December 2012. ^ "YIHR.org" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2015. ^ Annex VIII – part 3/10 Prison Camps. ess.uwe.ac.uk Archived 20 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine ^ "Russia pushes peace plan". BBC. 29 April 1999. ^ "Montenegro vote result confirmed". BBC News. 23 May 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2010. ^ "Montenegro declares independence". BBC News. 4 June 2006. Retrieved 11 September 2010. ^ "GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES ADMISSION OF MONTENEGRO TO UNITED NATIONS, INCREASING NUMBER OF MEMBER STATES TO 192 | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. ^ "OCCRP announces 2015 Organized Crime and Corruption ‘Person of the Year’ Award". Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. ^ "The Balkans’ Corrupt Leaders are Playing NATO for a Fool". Foreign Policy. 5 January 2017. ^ "Montenegro invited to join NATO, a move sure to anger Russia, strain alliance's standards". The Washington Times. 1 December 2015. ^ Stojanovic, Dusan (31 October 2016). "NATO, Russia to Hold Parallel Drills in the Balkans". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
    "Russians behind Montenegro coup attempt, says prosecutor". Germany: Deutsche Welle. AFP, Reuters, AP. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
    "Montenegro Prosecutor: Russian Nationalists Behind Alleged Coup Attempt". The Wall Street Journal. United States. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
    "'Russian nationalists' behind Montenegro PM assassination plot". United Kingdom: BBC. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
    ^ Montenegrin Court Confirms Charges Against Alleged Coup Plotters Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Radio Liberty, 8 June 2017. ^ Indictment tells murky Montenegrin coup tale: Trial will hear claims of Russian involvement in plans to assassinate prime minister and stop Balkan country's NATO membership. Politico, 23 May 2017. ^ Montenegro finds itself at heart of tensions with Russia as it joins Nato: Alliance that bombed country only 18 years ago welcomes it as 29th member in move that has left its citizens divided The Guardian, 25 May 2017. ^ МИД РФ: ответ НАТО на предложения российских военных неконкретный и размытый // "Расширение НАТО", TASS, 6 October 2016. ^ Комментарий Департамента информации и печати МИД России в связи с голосованием в Скупщине Черногории по вопросу присоединения к НАТО Russian Foreign Ministry′s Statement, 28.04.17. ^ Darmanović: Montenegro becomes EU member in 2022 20 April 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017. ^ "EU to map out membership for 6 western Balkan states", Michael Peel and Neil Buckley, Financial Times, 1 February 2018 ^ "Djukanovic Wins Montenegro's Presidential Election". Balkan Insight. 15 April 2018. ^ "Thousands march in Montenegro capital to demand president resign". Reuters. 16 March 2019. ^ "Montenegrin Antigovernment Protests Enter Eighth Week". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 7 April 2019. ^ "Serbs Protest in Montenegro Ahead of Vote on Religious Law". The New York Times. Reuters. 26 December 2019. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 January 2020. ^ "Montenegro's Attack on Church Property Will Create Lawless Society". Balkan Insight. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020. ^ Masovna litija SPC u Podgorici (in Serbo-Croatian), retrieved 10 February 2020 ^ "Montenegro Adopts Law on Religious Rights Amid Protests by pro-Serbs". Voice of America. Retrieved 5 January 2020. ^ "Montenegro's parliament approves religion law despite protests". BBC. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020. ^ "Настављене литије широм Црне Горе". Politika Online. Retrieved 2 March 2020. ^ "Several Thousand Protest Church Bill in Montenegro". The New York Times. Associated Press. 1 January 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020. ^ "Thousands at protest headed by Bishop Amfilohije in Montenegrin capital". N1 Srbija (in Serbian). 3 January 2020. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020. ^ "'Thousands will regret Vucic's absence in Montenegro'". N1 Srbija (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020. ^ Kako se Crna Gora našla u "hibridnim režimima" Archived 8 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Vijesti/Radio Free Europe ^ Freedom in the World—Montenegro Country Report Archived 7 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Freedom House (2020) ^ "How the use of ethnonationalism backfired in Montenegro". Al-Jazeera. 4 September 2020. ^ "Izglasano nepovjerenje Vladi Zdravka Krivokapića". Radio Slobodna Evropa. 4 February 2022. ^ "Milatovic declares victory in Montenegro presidential elections". France 24. 2 April 2023.
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Stay safe
  • Stay safe
     
    Police car in Montenegro

    Montenegro is generally a safe country. There is, like all countries in the world, criminal activities, but police forces are generally fast in their duties. The number is 122, as well as the international distress call 112. When travelling in the areas bordering Kosovo, it is recommended you keep to the main roads. Unexploded landmines may remain along the Kosovo border. You should also avoid areas where there is military activity.

    In the resort towns such as Kotor, Budva, Sveti Stefan and Herceg Novi, beggars and pickpockets are not uncommon. As in many other European locations, beggars are part of organized crime groups. Do not give them money. Doing so may also make you a target for more aggressive approaches. Always carry your bags in the safest way, slung around your shoulder with the pouch in front (with your money carried under your clothing) where you can keep your arm or hand across it.

    Sea urchins are small, globular, spiny sea creatures that cover much of the sea floor off the coast of Montenegro. This isn't a bad thing being as they only gather in super clear water. It's a good idea to wear sea socks or something to cover your feet while walking through the water. Also, if you snorkel, be careful and ensure you don't brush up against the ones on the sides of the rocks.

    Montenegrins are not safe drivers. You will often feel as though you are competing for road space with aggressive drivers who have little regard for your or their own safety. Many people also break the speed limits. Some roads are really narrow. Consequently, the country has one of the highest rates of traffic accident fatalities in Europe.

    There are two species of viper snakes in Montenegro, sarka and poskok. Both are small but very venomous, so be careful when you hike around, watch your steps and remember that they never attack people if they are not disturbed.

Where can you sleep near Montenegro ?

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