The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, said that the agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which covers tourism and construction, breaks the law and also goes against the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU.
He pointed out that there should be questions about criminal responsibility for those in the government who approved the deal. He said he was surprised by how the agreement was handled, especially because some approvals from parts of the state administration were, as he put it, “very problematic.”
“Honestly, some of this could end up in court. People from the administration signed off on something that wasn’t legal. I’m talking about the Ministry of European Affairs and the Secretariat for Legislation – this could be considered negligence in public office. There is a serious responsibility on the part of members of Parliament, as they’re discussing whether this is even legal. I mean, how did we even get to the point where something illegal is up for debate?” He added that the responsibility doesn’t lie only with the Prime Minister, but also with every government member and MP who votes for the agreement.
“This is about key national interests being handled in a way that breaks the law. I expect the EU to clearly state where they stand on this. If they say it’s in line with EU law, then hey – let’s sign 20 more of these deals,” Milatović said.
When it comes to the cooperation agreement with the UAE that Prime Minister Milojko Spajić signed, Milatović said it looks similar to other deals Montenegro has signed there are about twenty of those. “But this particular one cancels out some important Montenegrin laws and goes against the Constitution. It’s also questionable in terms of alignment with the EU agreement,” he added.
Honestly, it’s kind of wild that something this serious even made it to the point of discussion in Parliament. If the agreement really bypasses national laws and the Constitution, that’s a huge red flag.
I get that international cooperation is important, especially with countries like the UAE, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of legal procedures or national interests. What’s even more concerning is that parts of the administration just went along with it either without fully understanding the implications or simply ignoring them. It raises a lot of questions about accountability in the system. If Montenegro is on a path toward EU membership, stuff like this can’t just be brushed aside.
Written by our correspondent A.A.
