NATO vs. Montenegro

An exclusive interview by Katehon Think Tank with the leader of Serbian List and Serb People's Party (Montenegro) Andrija Mandic.

Andrija, who forced Montenegro’s government to join NATO and how do people react to this initiative?

The western allies of Milo Đukanović forced Montenegro to enter NATO. They know how to manipulate the Montenegrin president, Đukanović, who maintained some criminal business during his 20-year term. Đukanović’s whole criminal record is written in the documents of the western structures which are now blackmailing him. NATO thus found the best the way to manipulate Đukanović. And he has to follow his orders in being a puppet of the West and implementing such destructive processes for Montenegro.

The citizens of the country oppose the policy of the government, which has caused a great number of people in the country to protest. Dozen of thousands of people are now going to regular manifestations in the small country and opposing Milo Đukanović’s government that has been in power more than twenty seven years. While the elections were rigged, the majority of the population did not vote for this government. Montenegrins have expressed their will through protest: we insist on fair elections, and I’m sure that if such elections take place, then we will never see Đukanović in power again. Fair elections will stop the wrong policy of integrating into NATO against the people’s will, which has also unfortunately caused the imposition of anti-Russian sanctions.

Đukanović gathered support for himself in the parliament by stimulating corruption. Corruption has turned a significant part of the system of governance over to him.

As the opposition on the protest front, we are sure that modern Montenegro is literally at the edge of the abyss. If Montenegro enters NATO, we could face even more dramatic consequences.

We will not enter NATO by their own consent. The citizens of Montenegro don’t want NATO.

We insist on a referendum that will allow citizens to decide if they want to see their country in NATO or not.

Why does NATO need Montenegro?

NATO is very interested in Montenegro because it is still the only one country in the Northern part of the Mediterranean Sea which is not an alliance member. Spain, France, Italy, and Croatia are all NATO member-states, while Montenegro exists as some kind of blank space. Then there are the other NATO member-states: Albania, Greece, Turkey and so on except Syria. Montenegro is the only Mediterranean country that is not part of the alliance. NATO is interested in our territory, particularly our sea.  

I suppose that NATO would use Montenegro first and foremost for logistics. It is important for them to connect Croatia and Albania as member-states, and the other obvious reason is to fully surround Serbia by alliance countries.

Now we have one destiny with Serbia and, after dozens of years, those same people who committed war crimes in the former Yugoslavia are aiming to drag away another part of the formerly united country by any means without listening to the people’s will.

What do Russia and Montenegro have in common?

We Montenegrins are Orthodox and Slavs. We regard Russia and Russians as a close nation. And for Russia, Montenegro and Serbia are its closest countries in the EU. We intend to protect these close relations as something sacred that is the heritage of our ancestors.