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Minister Bogdanović in interview with Deutsche Wel...
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Minister Bogdanović in interview with Deutsche Welle: Law on Freedom of Religion will be fully implemented and will not deprive anyone
Published on: Feb 14, 2020 • 9:59 PM Author: PR Service
"The position of the Government of Montenegro is absolutely clear - the Law on Freedom of Religion will be fully implemented, taking into account that no party is deprived in any way," Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović said in an interview with Deutsche Welle, during an official visit to Berlin.
Commenting on the current protests in the country, Minister Bogdanović emphasised that they were only additional confirmation of the democratic capacities reached by Montenegro.
"One religious organisation, several political parties and a part of the population have the right to express their disagreement freely, and as long as it is of a peaceful nature, it is entirely their right that no one, and especially the Government of Montenegro, will oppose in any way. It is up to us to do what almost all European countries have already done - to bring the church into the system and to regulate the issues treated by the Law on Freedom of Religion," Minister Bogdanović said.
He also emphasised that religious communities and believers who have been using churches so far will be able to use them in the future.
"We are a secular state and respect the right of all citizens to freedom of religion. But that freedom and property right are two completely different things. It is up to us to regulate property issues, by determining the facts of whether there were illegal entries and in what way," Minister Bogdanović said.
Recalling that the Law on Freedom of Religion is by no means against the Serbian Orthodox Church, nor against any other religious organisation, Minister Bogdanović noted and stressed that the question why the Serbian Orthodox Church refuses to register as a legal entity should be raised.
"As you know, a government of a country cannot sign a contract with non-registered organisation. If I'm not mistaken, the same church is duly registered in the Republic of Serbia, so I don't know what prevents them from doing the same in Montenegro," said Minister Bogdanović.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle, he also spoke about the current media situation in the country, referring to the new media legislation. Answering the question whether arresting journalists in such a tense situation in the country can contribute to defuse the tension, Minister Bogdanović stresses that everyone must obey the laws.
He is firmly convinced that the new media legislation, which will soon be adopted in the Parliament, brings significantly better mechanisms, that many solutions are in line with current European practice, and that they give the country even better instruments to support and secure the work of the media.
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