The Montenegrin authorities have banned the entry into the country for 87 Serbian citizens, after they have identified them as a threat to national security on the eve of the European Union summit with the leaders of the Western Balkans, which will be held this Friday in Tivat.
The Serbian citizens arrived on Wednesday in the coastal city of Tivat through a charter flight of the “Air Serbia” company. As part of increased security measures for the summit, which is expected to be attended by senior EU and Balkan leaders, the Montenegrin Police and National Security Agency immediately intervened, blocking the plane and conducting detailed checks.
In a joint statement, the security services said they had obtained operational intelligence confirming the threat:
“The security services identified persons of security interest. We gathered operational data and intelligence that show without a doubt that the presence in Montenegro of the individuals in question would constitute a risk to internal and national security.”
Seized devices and profiles of persons
During the search, authorities found communication devices and banners with the inscription “Serbia wins” — a slogan used by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party. In addition to the plane, the police seized two buses.
Media reports in the region suggest that the group included pro-government activists who have previously been accused of violence against student protests in Serbia. Montenegrin police confirmed that some of the individuals had criminal records and history of participation in “multiple high-risk public gatherings”.
This incident occurs at a sensitive time for relations between Montenegro and Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is expected to attend the Tivat summit, while he has been reserved about state events in Montenegro and has openly supported pro-Serbian political forces in this country, which have often taken positions against NATO and in favor of ties with Russia.
The summit in Tivat aims to discuss the prospects of membership of the six countries of the Western Balkans — Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro — in the European Union. The EU is trying to speed up these reforms in an attempt to balance the growing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.
