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DPM Simović: Serbia neither built, liberated nor g...
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DPM Simović: Serbia neither built, liberated nor guarded churches in Montenegro, so there is no need to jump in now
Published on: Feb 23, 2020 • 9:20 PM Author: PR Service
The unusual and quick response to the statement of the Director of the Tax Administration of Montenegro came from the President of another country. This is just another confirmation of the direct interference in the internal affairs of Montenegro by President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, and it is not the first time.
He "generously" offers to pay the debts of the Serbian Orthodox Church "in order to prevent seizure of shrines". What shrines is President Vučić talking about?
The Director of Tax Administration has made it clear that in the event of failure to pay a debt, the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral's debt could eventually be collected from the account or from its assets. Of course, not from religious sites, but from real estate it owns in attractive locations.
Looking at the Buljarica example, the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral sought and got a conversion for 55,000m2 of land for tourist-apartment purposes, and only 737m2 for the church. So, 1.3% for religious purposes and 98.7% for business.
I fully agree with part of President Vučić's statement that "Serbian nationalism caused the most damage and the most problems for the Serbian people". For a moment, this seemed like a lesson learned, but shortly afterwards he repeated the old attempts to forge history that underpin Greater Serbian nationalism – which is lately again focused specifically on Montenegro.
I urge President Vučić to leave Montenegro to independently regulate relations between the state and the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral for the benefit of all Orthodox believers in Montenegro.
We will regulate these relations in a suitable way as a sovereign and democratic state.
When it comes to the churches in Montenegro: you neither built them nor liberated them, nor did you guard them, so there is no need to jump in now. The way you "jumped in to help" other countries is best evidenced by the empty monasteries in those coutries, and the priests who do not serve their people there, but now bring unrest and disunity to Montenegro.
Milutin Simović, MSc
Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro
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