Address of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic at the Conference: "State and Church in the Changing World Searching for Ways to Partnership in Resolving the Modern Challenges"

MILO ĐUKANOVIĆ, PRIME MINISTER OF MONTENEGRO

Distinguished Mr. Alekseyev,
Distinguished Metropolitans and Archimandrites,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Guests,

It is with pleasure and respect that I greet the Conference of the International Foundation for Unity of Orthodox Christian Nations on the topic: State and Church in the Changing World Searching for Ways to Partnership in Resolving the Modern Challenges. The pleasure is derived from the fact that you have chosen the Montenegrin capital of Cetinje as your venue and the respect is due to your endeavour in reflecting and looking for roads of dialogue and bridges of partnership. Indeed, the world has radically changed over the past two decades. The old antagonisms, tensions and divisions are gone and huge efforts are being made to create an integrated space in Europe in which, we hope, states, peoples and citizens will be able to achieve progress and personal happiness with less effort and more effect. It is in this light that we see this initiative, too.

For Montenegro it is an honour to host the annual Conference of the Fond of Unity of Orthodox Peoples, operating under the patronage of the esteemed Patriarch of Moscow and of all Russia, Aleksey the Second.

Allow me to briefly present to you a historic and political context of this land. Montenegro is a state in which bishops, precisely here in Cetinje, ruled as both spiritual and secular rulers practically from 1697 till 1851. This is a country that in one phase of her history elected her bishops at a Pan-Montenegrin popular assembly. Cetinje is also renowned for three famous Christian relics that are kept here. The first state printing shop operated in Cetinje and the first printed book among the South Slavs, Octoechos, came out in 1494,two years after the discovery of America and only 39 years after the Gutenberg invention. Here, in Cetinje, in 1711 the Montenegrins were granted the Gramota of the Great Russian Tsar Peter I, laying the foundations for the lasting friendship between the Montenegrin and Russian peoples. Indeed, Montenegro had the status of a kingdom as early as in 11th. century, but this period was followed by a long disruption of its independence. It is beyond doubt that the nucleus of restoration of its statehood was preserved thanks to operation and endeavours of the Cetinje Metropolis. Albeit the memory of the lost freedom and sovereignty was preserved among the people, it was in itself not sufficient to move it to those heroic acts and that high degree of self-sacrifice without which no people can realize the right to historic full age and an independent political status. Montenegro was lucky to have had on the throne of the Montenegrin Metropolis several truly great spiritual leaders and statesmen, among whom I would single out Bishop Danilo, St.Petar I and Petar II Petrovic-Njegos. Today's position of Montenegro would be inconceivable without all they have done for her. So the Montenegrin people still cherishes the memory of and respect for them, along with the memory of other great Montenegrins as something of a cult. The Montenegrin Metropolis, led by wise priests and statesmen, knew how to win the long and bloody battle for the realization of the most lofty collective ideal of a people embodied in two words : independence and freedom. When the time was ripe for this, the functions of spiritual and secular leadership were separated. Separated, but not confronted. Montenegro did not sacrifice herself for the ideal of freedom in order to achieve and defend it for herself only, but in order to help all the brotherly neighbouring Slav peoples achieve their ideals of freedom, too. Such a small country, which was destined, like David, to fight various Goliaths through history, paid a huge death toll, in particular in the two Balkan wars and in the first World War. Because of this generosity she sacrificed her youth, a generation that in any people represents the precondition of and the pledge for the future. Regrettably, due to political speculations of great powers at the Versailles Peace Conference, for the sake of what was at the time a new Western Balkan political structure, the kingdom of Montenegro was abrogated despite having fought in the first World War on the side of the alliance. All her institutions, legislative, judiciary and executive, even the spiritual authority were no longer internal, but were dislocated outside its historic entity. The very name of Montenegro was wiped out. Only after the second World War was Montenegro given back part of the prerogatives of the state. We cannot think without reverence and gratitude of those who, by establishing the Republic of Montenegro as part of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, in part made up for the huge international injustice. More than 60 years have passed since and the notion of Montenegro is increasingly acquiring the meaning that belongs to it that of an autochthonous area, autochthonous population and autochthonous historic, cultural and spiritual heritage. Montenegro has no outstanding border or territorial issues, she has no disputes concerning her multiethnic and multi-religious character. Montenegro has no problem with differences in cultural or civilization values. On the contrary. It is this diversity that defines her as a whole. Because regardless of ethnic, religious and cultural differences her citizens more and more recognize their identity in the common legacy of the idea of freedom as the primary quality that has both determined her past and is to determine her future.

I trust that it was these considerations that led the Chairman of the Fund, distinguished Professor Valerij Alekseyev to propose that your annual Conference be organized this year in Montenegro, for which I thank you once again. This is a huge tribute to the smallest, but proud Orthodox Montenegrin people. This is a tribute to Montenegro, a harmonious community of Montenegrins, Serbs, Muslims, Bosniaks, Albanians and Croats. Here, Orthodox, Catholics and people professing Islam have lived here together for centuries.

We are proud that at the time of the Yugoslav tragedy towards the end of the 20eth century Montenegro managed to remain an oasis of peace, of interethnic harmony and of spiritual and religious tolerance. The merit is due to all the peoples who live in Montenegro and all the religions, as well as the authorities of the state. During the time of wars across our borders Montenegro opened the door to all those in need, without asking them about their faith or nation. There were times when refugees in Montenegro accounted for over 20% of her total population. This is a huge civilization asset of today's generations in Montenegro, which was for centuries reputed as a country of warriors and heroes. The heroism of the generations of today lies in the fact that we have managed to spare Montenegro multiethnic conflicts and devastation, opening prospects for a peaceful and better life for all our citizens.

There is a Chinese saying that I am sure you who are present here know: Heaven forbid that you live in a time of change. Our peoples and our countries have unfortunately not been spared this. The modern world is undergoing a fast and dynamic change. The socialist system and the communist ideology, that for decades ruled a good part of the world, have become history over the past 15 to 20 years. The cold war is now in the past and the world is no longer divided into blocks. In the midst of Europe the Berlin Wall was brought down and many a trench that separated large peoples and states have been wiped away, I hope for ever. The integration processes on the old continent are gaining momentum, including not only Europe's East and South, but spreading even beyond the European territories.

These processes are, naturally, taking place against the backdrop of not only economic, but also political and other interests of the biggest world players that are being projected to the global level. In the era of the information boom and of new technologies that have annulled borders and barriers not only between states, but also between continents, the world is confronted with new rules and values. But the universal values of the Christian teaching have stood the test of time through all the phases of history of mankind. The good and evil have always existed. Neither have even known for any borders. The evil is today spreading in the form of terrorism, which does not have the face of any one nation and is equally dangerous for all the peoples and states. Equally for those who are victims, as well as those groups that are using this scourge of modern mankind for their criminal ends. These new processes confront peoples and states with new challenges and call for answers to difficult questions. By states and their intellectual and scientific elites, but also by the Church. Small states, like Montenegro and small peoples like the Montenegrin people, have their share of responsibility to act within their means and within these general processes.

Some questions arise of themselves. What should one do to ensure there are no new divisions and barriers? What should be done to prevent that some countries, peoples and regions remain on the periphery of these integration processes, or beyond them? And in particular what should be done to prevent integrations turning into unification, to prevent a united Europe from quashing national individuality and identity, especially of small countries and peoples and make sure that this be a unity that promotes diversity of national cultures and individuality of each people? And also how can all peoples preserve their historic memory and their roots, without this impeding adoption of new values and rules and hindering more prosperous development of each of them in tune with the time in which we live?

Many of you come from friendly countries that have already completed the processes that we in the Balkans are still facing. For us who live in this region your experience is invaluable. Almost all the peoples in the Balkans at the turn of the 21st century have gone through a new tragic section of their historic road. I wish to believe and I sincerely hope that the most difficult time is behind us. And that today in the Balkans all are turned to building and looking for new roads for their own, as well as common brighter future for Europe as a whole.
The new road that lies ahead for us is not at all easy. It is thorny and brimful of difficulties. The Balkans have through history been a clashing point of worlds, civilizations and religions. Peoples in the Balkans have, unfortunately, but understandably, been burdened each by their historic legacy, including a lot that is good, but also things that we would all want to forget. I believe that today's generations living here, in the era of globalization, have the will, knowledge and strength to rise above the accumulated burden of the past that used to hamper new generations preventing them from catching up with mainstream European and world processes. I believe that the Kosovo issue will also be resolved in this manner, through dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina with cooperation of the international community, without imposition of solutions and with respect of generally accepted international principles.

In all these processes states and politicians have a huge part to play. But the role of the Church, as the spiritual linchpin for the people, is also equally important.
I believe that your visit and your work here on the Montenegrin land will help look for answers to all the challenges that we share and that it will at the same time represent contribution towards a better understanding between our friendly peoples and countries; contribution to expanding and enriching our cultures; encouragement towards spiritual uplifting of our peoples. It is an obligation of the state and of the church to actively encourage and shape this noble work for peoples and states.

We believe in freedom and in the opportunities that freedom opens. This has led us to enable our citizens, all without difference, to build their individual consciousness regarding their right to have their say on what kind of Montenegro they want in future. Whether it is an entity commanding freedom, unencumbered by a complex of dependence on any guardians aspiring to decide on the extent of such freedom, or part of a state union that we have had over the past several years, in which the disproportion between the member states has turned to be an insurmountable problem for its functioning and therefore its effectiveness in accomplishing both Montenegrin and Serbian state interests. The decision on further destiny of Montenegro belongs to her citizens. I am profoundly convinced that for a mature politician and a well-meaning policy there is no more valid test, or more sovereign expression of collective will than a referendum vote on such critical issues. Of course, in accordance with the most strongly proven democratic standards available in the world today, standards that we have neither invented nor produced, but that we are steadily mastering and that we want to apply to all segments of the society. These standards include a strict line of separation of the Church from the State, or more precisely of religious systems and organizations from the political structures. Faith and politics are two large, important areas of human activity, indestructible, necessary and beyond doubt characterized by relations and correlations. The principle of separation of religion and politics is built into the foundation of modern states and societies. Renouncing this would mean to push the society back into the past, perhaps with worse consequences than those known to us from history.

Montenegro cannot imagine herself without respect for the spiritual legacy passed on to her, nor can she deny that she would not be where she is today if it were not for this spiritual heritage. That is why she must not only value and respect it, but it is a civilization duty in the spirit of the time in which we live, to build this into our own spiritual wealth, into the progress of the people and the state. Your experiences in this regard are for us invaluable. This is one of the reasons why our Government was pleased to accept patronage over this distinguished gathering, convinced that you, too, have recognized, when deciding to make Montenegro the venue of your meeting, those values that we advocate and that we have in part realized.

Montenegro is geographically in Europe, she is built into its culture, just as European culture is built into our civilization values. But we want to also take part in its economic, legal and political union. We are conscious that we can do so, only if we have the capacity to meet its appropriate standards. We believe we can do it. Many among you come from the areas where the Orthodox religion is the dominant expression of spiritual belief. Areas that managed, less painfully than the Balkans, to open new processes, or such areas that have already entered European integrations and thereby shown that cultural and civilization heritage is a cornerstone of the architecture of the modern society that you are building and not only compatible with, but indeed an integral part of the comprehensive European civilization. This fact of comprehensive integration minimises opportunities for using different, but compatible spiritual legacies for political ends. We are particularly pleased because of this. Since, unfortunately, our generation in the area of former Yugoslavia allowed anachronisms to happen and experienced tragic manipulations with religious differences, which although not being the cause of interethnic conflicts, were still brutally abused by those who wanted conflicts. We in Montenegro believe in the value and strength of dialogue. We believe that there are no needs for any one's dictates, as we have won such a degree of autonomy and sovereignty that makes us free to autonomously judge what is useful for Montenegro and what is not. And this by no means is or can be against Serbia. On the contrary.

We are confident that your intentions and actions can be very helpful in this regard. The International Fund of Unity of Orthodox Peoples brings together people from spiritual, political and scientific structures, who are living their religious belief through different experiences. There are no uniform and optimal models establishing a relationship between the spiritual and political legacy, which also applies to the relations between the state and religious systems and organizations. Given that we are located in Europe and that with this space we share many a positive, as well as negative experience, we are firmly convinced that separation of Church from the State is a necessary prerequisite for their positive cooperation. But such a separation that enables each citizen, as well as any member of any political structure, full freedom of conscience, including freedom of religion. Stable and prosperous states today cannot be imagined without such freedom. Respect for such freedom is required both of all the state structures and of the religious ones. We must together enable each person to express the best that there is in them, which gives them their moral, cultural and spiritual identity. If our citizens should choose sovereign freedom, I can only promise, on this occasion too, that we will jointly seek to responsibly built it, defend it and enhance it, for the well-being of all in Montenegro.

I hope that your work and the conclusions of this Conference will bear the hallmark of both the huge personal experience that you undoubtedly have - given the high offices that you hold in the society and of the spiritual wealth that that the Orthodox faith so abundantly offers. The Orthodox faith is a huge treasury of authentically Christian teaching. Today, free from those political and ideological fetters that it experienced through much of the 20eth century, it can and should enrich, both in Europe and at a planetary level, the large spiritual community of Christians. Should you succeed in this even in part, you will have done a great thing. If our Montenegrin hospitality helps you in this we will be truly happy. I wish you a successful continuation of your work.

Thank you for your attention.


Cetinje, February 14, 2006