PM Krivokapić meets with bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina Dimitrije and bishop of Mileševa Atanasije

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić hosted today Their Eminences, Bishop of Mileševa Atanasije and Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina Dimitrije. The topic of the meeting was the entry of the Eparchy of Mileševa and the Eparchy of Zahumlje, Herzegovina and the Littoral, parts of which extend to the territory of the state of Montenegro, in the Unified Registry of Religious Communities. This has already been done with the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and the Eparchy of Budimlja and Nikšić, all in accordance with the recently adopted Law on Freedom of Religion.

Prime Minister Krivokapić used the opportunity to hand over the decision on entry in the Unified Registry of Religious Communities to Bishop Dimitrije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina.

PM Krivokapić said that the rule of law is a fundamental value of any society that wants to be stable, and that the Government of Montenegro wants every man in the country to feel important and safe and have guaranteed and equal rights.

The Prime Minister said that no one in Montenegro must be discriminated against on any grounds, and especially these cannot be institutions that are the fundamental pillars of Montenegrin statehood and its spiritual and cultural identity, adding that the joint task is to make Montenegro a state of stability, tolerance, peace, solidarity and empathy.

The bishops thanked the Prime Minister and the Government of Montenegro for their readiness to resolve the issue of the Basic Agreement of the State of Montenegro with the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The bishops said that they believe that the issue of the Agreement is very important, because it will confirm the strength of the recently adopted Law on Freedom of Religion and all provisions of that act, which guarantee all freedoms given to the Church and believers by the Constitution and international law, and provide mutual respect and fruitful cooperation between the state and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, while respecting the modern achievements of their separation and independence. The Basic Agreement refers exclusively to the dioceses of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro.