\u201cThe greatest asset you have is your own state. Montenegro has achieved statehood, and everything else consists of smaller or larger developments that do not stand in the way of Montenegro becoming a successful, well-governed, and relatively prosperous country,\u201d the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanovi\u0107 said today at the central event of the Montenegrin community in Croatia, the \u201cLu\u010dindanski susreti u Zagrebu\u201d [St. Luke\u2019s Day Gatherings in Zagreb]. He attended the event alongside the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovi\u0107, who was in Croatia on a working visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMontenegro is a candidate for European Union membership. It is moving towards the EU, and may it join. As far as I am concerned, it is more than welcome,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 added. He pointed out that Montenegro\u2019s progress towards EU membership is taking place at a time when the EU itself aspires to become, as he put it, a superstate. \u201cIn my firm conviction and based on my observations, the European Union is exceeding the limits of what its structure can sustain. It should stick to the purposes for which it was primarily conceived and established: free trade, freedom of movement, and a certain degree of harmonisation. But a superstate? No,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking further about Montenegro\u2019s past and its path to independence, the President of the Republic remarked: \u201cIt was neither easy nor straightforward. The referendum twenty years ago gave rise to divisions within Montenegrin society that were not easy to heal or put behind it. These are complex historical processes, yet both here in Croatia and elsewhere, they have often been viewed in rather simplistic terms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwenty years ago, Montenegro finally became an independent state, which its citizens endorsed in a referendum, and today it functions as a civic state. Montenegro is now a country of several nations and faiths that coexist in relative harmony, given the circumstances. I hope they continue to do so, because after twenty years of independence, the country now has a path of its own above all. You have a head of your own,\u201d President Milanovi\u0107 said, concluding his address with a verse by Petar Petrovi\u0107 Njego\u0161: \u201cKeep your head on your shoulders; you can always get yourself another rifle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his address, the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovi\u0107 said that Montenegro was resolutely continuing along its European path and that Croatia, \u201cas our neighbouring country and a member of the European Union, holds a special place in this process.\u201d \u201cIt is our shared responsibility to build good-neighbourly relations, foster open dialogue, overcome current challenges, and strengthen mutual trust. A shared European future entails not only political and economic cooperation but also respect for diversity, a sense of responsibility, and a willingness to leave future generations a legacy of peace, stability, and friendship,\u201d the President of Montenegro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He thanked the organisers of the \u201cLu\u010dindanski susreti,\u201d the \u201cMontenegro\u201d Society of Montenegrins and Friends of Montenegro in Zagreb, for preserving traditions and bringing generations together. \u201cAs President of Montenegro, I want you to know that you, as members of the Montenegrin community in Croatia, represent an important part of our national and cultural identity. We want Montenegro to be a country you are always happy to return to, where you feel at home, and with which you build new ties through culture, education, and the economy,\u201d the President of Montenegro told the Montenegrin community in Croatia, concluding his address with the words: \u201cThank you for preserving the Montenegrin name in Croatia and for building bridges of friendship between our two countries through your work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the two Presidents, the event was also addressed by Alija \u0160ukurica, President of the \u201cMontenegro\u201d Society of Montenegrins and Friends of Montenegro in Zagreb; Luka Korlaet, Deputy Mayor of Zagreb, representing the Mayor; Vladimir Joki\u0107, Mayor of Kotor; Mirsad Azemovi\u0107, Montenegro\u2019s Minister for Diaspora Affairs; and Zoran Gregurovi\u0107, a Member of the Croatian Parliament, representing the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Milanovi\u0107 was accompanied by Melita Muli\u0107, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society, and Tomislav Pa\u0161kvalin, Commissioner of the President of the Republic for Sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Marko Beljan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cThe greatest asset you have is your own state. Montenegro has achieved statehood, and everything else consists of smaller or larger developments that do not stand in the way of Montenegro becoming a successful, well-governed, and relatively prosperous country,\u201d the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanovi\u0107 said today at the central event of the Montenegrin community in Croatia, the \u201cLu\u010dindanski susreti u Zagrebu\u201d [St. Luke\u2019s Day Gatherings in Zagreb]. He attended the event alongside the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovi\u0107, who was in Croatia on a working visit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":45270,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-45269","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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![<\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\nPHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Marko Beljan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cThe greatest asset you have is your own state. Montenegro has achieved statehood, and everything else consists of smaller or larger developments that do not stand in the way of Montenegro becoming a successful, well-governed, and relatively prosperous country,\u201d the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanovi\u0107 said today at the central event of the Montenegrin community in Croatia, the \u201cLu\u010dindanski susreti u Zagrebu\u201d [St. Luke\u2019s Day Gatherings in Zagreb]. 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