Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović urged parliamentarians not to vote against the national interest regarding the Law on the ratification of the Agreement on cooperation in tourism and real estate development between Montenegro and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He called on lawmakers to carefully review the reasons why he returned the law for reconsideration, emphasizing that the agreement does not align with Montenegro’s national interests.
Milatović highlighted that the European Commission has clearly stated that implementing such an agreement could jeopardize Montenegro’s path toward European Union membership. He expressed concern about whether political actors are willing to listen to reasoned appeals, given the current political climate. He also noted that credible civil society organizations and citizens share similar concerns about the agreement.
The president mentioned that he is considering submitting an initiative to the Constitutional Court to assess the law’s constitutionality. He referenced Transparency International’s statement warning that the agreement threatens the EU integration process and raises issues related to misuse of public resources, potential corruption, and lack of transparency. Milatović concluded by questioning what more needs to be said to convince lawmakers to abandon actions contrary to Montenegro’s national interests.
