Border suppression performs in accordance with plan and agreement of Montenegro and Serbia

Podgorica, Montenegro (1 February 2020) -- Several media in the Republic of Serbia, published earlier today a false statement, according to which, in the past few days, "per order of the police" started digging of canals at the border with Serbia, in order to supposedly "prevent an arrival of believers from Serbia, to the processions".

It is true that the suppression of so - called illegal crossings on the state border of Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia, is performing in accordance with the predicted dynamic, agreed between the two countries.

Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia have negotiated since 7 March 2011, which resulted in the conclusion of an Interstate Agreement on the Regulation of the Border Traffic Regime and several agreements on border crossings and border traffic between Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia. Agreements that have been signed, ratified in both countries and which have entered into force, also list crossing points for crossing the state border, beyond officially opened border crossings, in order to provide the population residing in the border municipalities of Montenegro - Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje, Petnjica and Rožaje, and Republic of Serbia - Priboj, Sjenica, Tutin and Novi Pazar, with facilitated movement and crossing of the common state border, in order to develop and boost economic, educational, health, social, cultural, sports and other forms of cooperation, recognising the cooperation between the population in the border areas is the basis of good cooperation between neighbouring countries.

The two countries also agreed on the dynamics of suppression the roads for illegal crossing of the state border. At the meeting on 19 March 2019, which was held in Podgorica, it was noted that the leaders of the border police of both countries signed an Elaborate, which, envisaged closing of 29 route planners and 30 points, 16 in the Republic of Serbia and 14 in Montenegro, as it was stated at the meeting of the Interstate Mixed Commission, competent for monitoring the implementation of the agreement provisions, held on 22 November 2019 on Zlatibor. (Attachment: Parts of the first and last pages of the Minutes).

Works on the suppression of roads suitable for illegal crossing of the border are carried out from the Montenegrin side, in accordance with the Conclusions of the Mixed Commission and in accordance with the previously undertaken preparations. (Attachment: first page of the Agreement, which was concluded on 26 December 2019).

From the above, it is clear that this is not about activities that are launched these days and which are, as several media in the Republic of Serbia maliciously and for the purpose of spreading fake news published, aimed at preventing believers from crossing the border. All border crossings between Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia are open and traffic takes place smoothly.

The Minutes of the Mixed Commission of 22 November 2019: http://www.gov.me/ResourceManager/FileDownload.aspx?rId=395850&rType=1

An Agreement of 26 December 2019: http://www.gov.me/ResourceManager/FileDownload.aspx?rId=395851&rType=1

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO