Podgorica to Belgrade: No one will influence our decisions

Vucic asked Montenegro’s Government to withdraw the draft law on freedom of religion which stipulated that all religious communities, including the Serb Orthodox Church, had to prove they owned the properties before 1918, or they would be confiscated.

"We thank President Vucic for his advice, but we remind him again that Montenegro is a sovereign state which creates its legal framework on its own, bearing in mind the interest of every individual. We do not, neither will we try to interfere with Serbia’s legal acts and will not allow anyone to influence ours," the Government statement said.

Vucic has said Belgrade will ask Podgorica via the European Council’s Venice Commission not to adopt the draft law since, according to him, it would not be beneficial to the Serb people and added its adoption would imperil the otherwise good relationship between the two countries.

"That was my appeal, hope and wish… If they don’t hear it, that’s their right and we’ll understand that and act accordingly," Vucic said.