There is a "new round of fighting for spheres of influence" in the
Balkans, Austrian newspaper Der Standard wrote. While NATO is carrying
out military exercises in Montenegro, Russia views this as "a
confrontational move" that could lead to renewed tensions between Moscow
and the West.
Montenegro's Foreign Minister Igor Luksic, center, Montenegro's Defense
Minister Milica Pejanovic-Durisic, left, and NATO Secretary General Jens
Stoltenberg prepare to address the North Atlantic Council at NATO
headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015
Opposition Leader Warns Montenegro Against Joining NATO
Civil defense exercises, involving 32 countries, are currently being
held in Montenegro under the guidance of NATO.
According to the newspaper, with this move local authorities want to
show that they are ready to join NATO. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo
Djukanovic wants to maintain his power with the help of the West, which
is why he has demonstrated his willingness to follow a Western strategy,
the article said.
The military alliance, for its turn, "is primarily interested in closing
the gap between the NATO states, Croatia and Albania, on the Adriatic
coast, 250 kilometers of which belong to Montenegro," the newspaper
noted.
A German soldier from the NATO coalition stands guard during a visit by
resolute support spokesman Brigadier General H. Cleveland outside the
Shaheen 209th military corps training center in Mazar-i-Sharif on April
26, 2016
Montenegro to Join NATO Within Several Months – Prime Minister
Moreover, the move is also a signal to Moscow that "a new round of
fighting for spheres of influence" has started in the Balkans, the
article said.
Earlier, the ruling Montenegrin Democratic Socialist Party and the state
prosecutor's office claimed that the pro-Russian Serbs Party was
allegedly planning a coup to overthrow Ptime Minister Djukanovic.
According to reports, the coup was supposed to take place during
parliamentary elections on October 16. On that day, Montenegrin police
arrested a group of Serbs who were allegedly planning armed attacks on
government institutions and top politicians.
"Taking into account the scarcity of the facts, various conspiracy
theories and interests as well as the politically dependent judiciary,
it will be impossible to clarify the situation.
Some people, however,
think that the "strong man" of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, and his
people had staged the coup attempt themselves to stir fear, win the
election, and criminalize the opposition," the newspaper wrote.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated Moscow is
concerned over NATO's current course leading to deterioration of the
security situation in Europe and is waiting for a concrete response from
the alliance on Russia's initiatives to resume dialogue.
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