Speaking at the last NATO summit, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has allegedly expressed fears that it is dangerous to share information with the new Montenegrin government, Euractiv reports.
Speaking at the 2BS (To be Secure) Forum in Budva, Escobar confirmed that this concern is real and that Montenegrins should be aware of it.
According to him, the United States has both a diplomatic and political response to Russia’s interference in Montenegro’s internal affairs, pointing to forces that do not want a sovereign and democratic Montenegro the US intends to isolate.
Stressing that he distinguishes between pro-Russian and pro-Serbian forces, Escobar said pro-Serbian political forces in Montenegro should recognise that the country should remain part of NATO as democratic, independent and sovereign state turned to the West.
He also underlined that the US has many ways to deal with parties that are trying to downplay these aspects, with sanctions as well as diplomatic and political isolation being among those ways.
On top of that, Escobar said that the US will continue to support the current Montenegrin government as long as it is democratic and focused on the country’s European future.
Reacting to the critically intoned statement of Escobar, former Montenegrin PM and DPS MP Duško Marković said that it clearly indicates that Krivokapić’s government does not serve the strategic foreign policy interests of Montenegro and confirmed the allies’ distrust in his government.
SDP President Raško Konjević pointed that Escobar’s statement is clear warning that the Montenegrin government has crossed ‘red line’ and that it has lost not only the parliamentary majority, but also the support of key international partners.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the other hand, claimed that some media misinterpreted Escobar’s statement and that it was the panel moderator that has said that while Escobar did not wanted to comment on behalf of NATO, but noted the concern was real and that people in Montenegro should take it very seriously.
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