PM Markovic: In coming days we will resume dialogue with Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral

Podgorica, Montenegro (30 October 2019) -- Prime Minister Duško Marković said that recent talks with the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral about the Draft Law on Freedom of Religion did not result in an agreement, but that in all probability the dialogue will be resumed in the next few days.

Answering questions by journalists in the Parliament following the Prime Minister's Question session, the Prime Minister said that there was no understanding at the first meeting with the representatives of the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, and that if no agreement is to be reached, the Government will forward the Draft Law to the Parliament.

"I have already said that the Law on Freedom of Religion has gone through all the envisaged procedures at the national level. The Council of Europe was consulted and we received expert support, the Venice Commission gave a positive opinion, which recommended to us to continue consultations with all religious communities. As part of that, I have started dialogue with the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral," Prime Minister Marković explained.

When asked which direction the dialogue is going to take, the Prime Minister said that he will present the final decisions to the representatives of the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral and ask them for comments and suggestions: "If they are acceptable, we will accept them, but if they are not, we will not."

Asked by a reporter whether Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Pažin's statement on confidence in the work of the Prosecutor's Office means distancing the Government with respect to the results of the rule of law, the Prime Minister noted that this was a misinterpretation of the meaning and content of the Deputy Prime Minister's statement.

“Minister Pažin did not criticise the work of the Prosecutor's Office, and he did not make judgments about the work and results of the Prosecutor's Office. He spoke about the level of trust in the prosecution organisation," said Prime Minister Marković.

He emphasised that trust is a matter of perception and that information is obtained from public opinion polls. He also recalled the lack of confidence in the work of the Government, the Parliament, political parties, NGOs.

"Do not put something that is crystal clear into the context of an unnecessary and unhealthy environment," Prime Minister Marković stressed.