Return to home MonteNet: http://www.montenet.org/history/intro.htm
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tibettenzin/montenegro/
TravelDocs: https://www.traveldocs.com/world-atlas/Montenegro-atlas148Montenegro's population is 660,000, predominantly
Christian Slavic Montenegrins. Up to 15 percent are Slavic Muslims,
and ethnic Albanians account for 7 percent. The capital is
Podgorica, population about 170,000. Serbian, formerly known as
Serbo-Croat, is the majority language.
(AP, 10/20/02)
Economy: With industrial output stagnating in 2002, Montenegro has
relied on seasonal income from tourism on its stretch of the
Adriatic coast. Privatization has been slow but steady, despite
occasional allegations of irregularities and workers' protests. Per
capita income is the equivalent of around $1,000, the average
monthly salary US$120 and unemployment about 20 percent.
(AP, 10/20/02) 500-600 The Slavic
colonization of the Balkan peninsula occurred in two waves. The
Montenegrins came in the first wave, in the 6th century, from the
region between the Baltic Sea and the present-day city of Hanover,
Germany. In the Baltic, the Montenegrins' ancestors lived in an area
called Slavia and were known as the Velet and Odobriti tribes. Those
tribes settled in the Roman province of Prevalis, where they found
the urban Roman settlements of Kotor, Risan, Budva, Bar, Ulcinj and
Duklja (which lie within the borders of present-day Montenegro) and
also the native Illyrian tribes, the predecessors of today's
Albanians. The Montenegrins were pagans, but through coexistence and
assimilation they accepted Christianity from the Romans. They
brought with them the name of the old native country Slavia and more
than 860 toponyms. Even today there are in the Baltic around 800
settlements, rivers, lakes and mountains with names similar to
corresponding places in Montenegro.
(www, 6/3/98)
600-700 Serbs and Croats came into Montenegro in a
second wave in the 7th century.
(www, 6/3/98)
1809 Jul 5-1809 Jul 6, Napoleon
beat Austria’s archduke Charles at the Battle of Wagram. He annexed
the Illyrian Provinces (now part of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro), and abolished the Papal
States.
(http://tinyurl.com/vx8dk)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wagram)
1860 Aug 13, Montenegro’s
Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš (1841-1921) was still in Paris when, in
consequence of the assassination of his uncle Danilo I, he succeeded
as prince.
(http://tinyurl.com/y9vj8zsm)
1876 Jul 2, Montenegro declared
war on Turkey.
(PC, 1992, p.537)
1878 Mar 3, Russia and the
Ottomans signed the Treaty of San Stefano, granting independence to
Serbia. With the Treaty of San Stefano (and subsequent negotiations
in Berlin) in the wake of the last Russo-Turkish War, the Ottoman
Empire lost its possession of numerous territories including
Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. The Russo-Turkish wars
dated to the 17th century, the Russians generally gaining territory
and influence over the declining Ottoman Empire. In the last war,
Russia and Serbia supported rebellions in the Balkans. In concluding
the Treaty of San Stefano, the Ottomans released control of
Montenegro, Romania and Serbia, granted autonomy to Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and allowed an autonomous state of Bulgaria to be
placed under Russian control.
(HN, 3/3/99)(HNQ, 2/23/01)
1878 Mar 3, The Treaty of San
Stefano was signed after Russo-Turkish War. It assigned
Albanian-populated lands to Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia; but
Austria-Hungary and Britain blocked the treaty's implementation.
Albanian leaders meet in Prizren, Kosova, to form the League of
Prizren. The League initially advocated autonomy for Albania. At the
Congress of Berlin, the Great Powers overturned the Treaty of San
Stefano and divided Albanian lands among several states. The League
of Prizren began to organize resistance to the Treaty of Berlin's
provisions that affected Albanians.
(www, Albania,
1998)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_San_Stefano)
1878 Jul 13, The Treaty of
Berlin was the final act of the Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13
July 1878), by which the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary, France,
Germany, Italy, Russia and the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Abdul
Hamid II revised the Treaty of San Stefano signed on 3 March the
same year. The Treaty of San Stefano had ended the Russo-Turkish War
of 1877-78. The Congress of Berlin divided the Balkans among
European powers. The Slavic converts to Islam in the Sandzak region
of southwestern Serbia were separated from their ethnic cousins in
Bosnia.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Berlin_(1878))
(AP, 7/13/97)(HN, 7/13/98)(WSJ, 6/16/99, p.A20)
1878 Montenegro was recognized
as an independent state when it became a monarchy.
(AP, 5/22/06)
1910 Montenegro, a principality
in the 19th century, was recognized as a kingdom.
(AP, 10/20/02)
1912 Oct 8, Montenegro declared
war on Turkey beginning the 1st Balkan War. Balkan League members
followed Montenegro 10 days later [see Oct 18].
(http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/bravo/balkan1912.htm)
1912 Oct 18, The First Balkan
War broke out between the members of the Balkan League-- Serbia,
Bulgaria, Greece and Montenegro--and the Ottoman Empire. A small
Balkan War broke out and was quelled by the major powers. Albanian
nationalism spurred repeated revolts against Turkish dominion and
resulted in the First Balkan War in which the Turks were driven out
of much of the Balkan Peninsula. Austria-Hungary’s 1908 annexation
of Bosnia and Herzegovina spurred Serbian efforts to form the Balkan
alliance with its neighbors. As a result of the war on Turkey,
Serbia doubled its territory with the award of Northern Macedonia.
Albanian leaders affirmed Albania as an independent state. [see Oct
8]
(V.D.-H.K.p.290)(CO, Grolier’s/ Albania)(HN,
10/18/98)(HNQ, 3/27/99)(www, Albania, 1998)
1912 Dec 3, Turkey, Serbia,
Montenegro, Greece & Bulgaria signed a weapons pact.
(MC, 12/3/01)
1912 Dec 4, An armistice was
signed to end the First Balkan War. Following several victories over
the Ottoman army, coalition forces occupied Macedonia and forced the
Ottoman Empire to seek an armistice.
(www.maknews.com/html/articles/stefov/stefov61.html)
1913 Aug 10, The Treaty of
Bucharest ended the Second Balkan War. It was concluded by the
delegates of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece. The
entire "disputed zone" was taken by Serbia, Greece secured its
position in Thessaloniki and southeastern Macedonia, the Ottomans
regained all the territories lost in the First Balkan War to
Bulgaria with the exception of eastern (Pirin) Macedonia, and the
Romanians seized Southern Dobruja.
(www.maknews.com/html/articles/stefov/stefov61.html)
1913 Aug 10, The Great Powers
recognized an independent Albanian state. Demographics were ignored,
however, and half of the territories inhabited by Albanians (such as
Kosova and Chameria) were divided among Montenegro, Serbia and
Greece.
(www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/boshtml/bos149.htm)
1913 Nov, Treaty of Bucharest
ended the Second Balkan War. The Great Powers recognized an
independent Albanian state. Demographics were ignored, however, and
half of the territories inhabited by Albanians (such as Kosova and
Chameria) were divided among Montenegro, Serbia and Greece.
(www, Albania, 1998)
1918 Nov 7, The Yugoslav
National Conference at Geneva decided on the union of Croatia and
Slovenia with Serbia and Montenegro. [see Dec 1]
(BWH, 1988)
1918 Nov 26, Montenegro deposed
its king who opposed union and voted to join the new Kingdom of
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. [see Dec 1]
(BWH, 1988)
1918 Dec 1, The Kingdom of
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes [later in 1929 to be called Yugoslavia]
was proclaimed by Alexander Karadjordjevic, the son of King Peter of
Serbia. It included the previously independent kingdoms of Serbia
and Macedonia, the Hungarian-controlled regions of Croatia and
Slovenia, the Austrian province of Dalmatia, Carniola and parts of
Styria, Carinthia and Istria. King Alexander I renamed the Balkan
state called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes to
Yugoslavia in 1929.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/map/yugoslavia/1900/)(AP,
10/3/97)(HNQ, 3/26/99)
1921 Mar 1, Montenegro’s Prince
Nikola (b.1841) died. He was the ruler of Montenegro from 1860 to
1918, reigning as sovereign prince from 1860 to 1910 and as king
from 1910 to 1918.
(http://tinyurl.com/y9vj8zsm)
1929 Oct 3, The Kingdom of
Serbs, Croats and Slovenes formally changed its name to the Kingdom
of Yugoslavia. It included the regions of Serbia, Montenegro,
Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Macedonia. King
Alexander I renamed the Balkan state called the Kingdom of Serbs,
Croats, and Slovenes, Yugoslavia. The Kingdom had been formed on
December 1, 1918 and was ruled by the Serbian Karageorgevic dynasty.
It included the previously independent kingdoms of Serbia and
Macedonia, the Hungarian-controlled regions of Croatia and Slovenia,
the Austrian province of Dalmatia, Carniola and parts of Styria,
Carinthia and Istria.
(AP, 10/3/97)(HN, 10/3/98)(HNQ, 3/26/99)(LCTH,
10/3/99)
1941-1945 Some 1600-2000 German soldiers were
killed in Montenegro in clashes with Yugoslav communist partisans
during WWII.
(AP, 8/10/11)
1945 Mar 7, In Yugoslavia the
Communist government of Tito formed.
(MC, 3/7/02)(AP, 10/20/02)
1979 In Montenegro an
earthquake destroyed much of the Old Town beach resort of Budva.
(SSFC, 10/20/02, p.C6)
1990 A multiparty system was
introduced in 1990.
(AP, 10/20/02)
1991 Feb 15, Milo Djukanovic
began serving as prime minister of Montenegro. He served until 1998
and held a 2nd term from 2003-2006.
(Econ, 2/9/08,
p.56)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milo_%C4%90ukanovi%C4%87)
1991 Entities of Yugoslavia
began to split off leaving Serbia and Montenegro. [see Serbia]
(SFC, 10/18/96, A16)
1992 Apr 27, The Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in Belgrade by the Republic of
Serbia and its lone ally, Montenegro.
(AP internet, 4/27/97)
1992 The country was placed
under embargo for supporting the Bosnian Serb war effort.
(WSJ,11/24/95, p.A-3)
1996 Dec 26, Montenegro
threatened to print its own money to counter the inflated dinars of
the Milosevic regime.
(SFC, 12/27/96, p.A15)
1997 Jan 17, Janko Jeknic,
foreign minister, was killed in a car crash at Novo Selo.
(SFC, 1/18/96, p.C1)
1997 Mar 25, Prime Minister
Milo Djukanovic was given a vote of no confidence by hardline
supporters of Serbian Pres. Milosevic.
(SFC, 3/26/97, p.C2)
1997 Oct 5, Momir Bulatovic, a
Milosevic ally, led pro-Westerner challenger Milo Djukanovic but did
not receive a 50% majority due to other candidates. A runoff was
scheduled for Oct 19.
(SFC, 10/7/97, p.A15)
1997 Oct 19, In Montenegro Milo
Djukanovic beat pro-Milosevic incumbent Momir Bulatovic for the
presidency.
(SFC,10/21/97, p.A12)
1997 Oct, The Belgian company
Interbrew acquired a 60% stake in the Trebjesa Brewery for $14
million and a 2 year commitment to invest $8.3 million.
(SFC, 7/2/98, p.A16)
1998 Jan 14, Riot police
clashed with some 10,000 protestors who attacked government
buildings the day before the inauguration of Milan Djukanovic, who
favors autonomy from Serbia.
(WSJ, 1/15/98, p.A1)
1998 Feb 11, Former Pres. Momir
Bulatovic was indicted with 3 senior aides for activity against the
state during the January riots.
(SFC, 2/13/98, p.D5)
1998 Apr 23, The president of
Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, called for full autonomy for the Kosovo
region.
(SFC, 4/24/98, p.A16)
1998 May 9, The leading Group
of Eight industrialized countries imposed an investment ban on
Serbia and froze and froze the assets abroad of Serbia and
Montenegro due to conditions in Kosovo.
(SFEC, 5/10/98, p.A13)
1998 May 18, In Yugoslavia
lawmakers loyal to Pres. Slobodan Milosevic voted to oust Prime
Minister Radoje Kontic, after he refused to clamp down on reformist
leaders in Montenegro.
(SFC, 5/19/98, p.A12)
1998 May 19, In Serbia Pres.
Milosevic named Momir Bulatovic as federal prime minister.
Montenegro’s parliament said it did not recognize the ouster of
Radoje Kontic and that it would no recognize any laws of the federal
government.
(SFC, 5/20/98, p.A12)
1998 May 31, A reformist
coalition led by Pres. Djukanovic led in national elections with
50.4%.
(SFC, 6/1/98, p.A8)
1999 Mar 29, In Montenegro
Pres. Milo Djukanovic made a plea for an end to NATO attacks on
Yugoslavia. The country reported that over 30,000 refugees had taken
asylum there.
(SFC, 3/30/99, p.A10)
1999 Apr 1, Yugoslav Gen'l.
Radoslav Martinovic was recalled by Pres. Milosevic and replaced by
nationalist Gen'l. Milorad Obradovic. A coup was feared to be
imminent. The Yugoslav military demanded control of Montenegro's
state-run TV, but the demand was rejected.
(SFC, 4/2/99, p.A13)(WSJ, 4/5/99, p.A17)
1999 Apr 3, Montenegro
announced that over 31,000 Kosovar Albanians had entered the country
since NATO assaults began and that it was facing a humanitarian
catastrophe.
(SFEC, 4/4/99, p.A10)
1999 Apr 6, NATO bombed
Yugoslav forces in Montenegro.
(WSJ, 4/7/99, p.A16)
1999 Apr 8, Pres. Milo
Djukanovic warned Gen'l. Milorad Obradovic to stop breaking into
homes and forcibly taking citizens into military service.
(SFEC, 4/11/99, p.A28)
1999 Apr 9, It was reported
that the US planned to give $10 million in emergency aid to
Montenegro.
(WSJ, 4/9/99, p.A10)
1999 Apr 14, Some 3,000
refugees reached the border of Macedonia and another 7,000 were
expected. Another 3,000 arrived in Albania. An estimated 18,000 were
making their way to Montenegro. Over the last 3 weeks 305,000
arrived in Albania, 121,000 in Macedonia, and 61,000 in Montenegro.
(SFC, 4/15/99, p.A12)
1999 Apr 14, The Yugoslav navy
declared all Montenegrin ports closed for 48 hours. The Yugoslav
military later assumed control of the port from civilian
authorities. Navy warships in the port were used to fire
antiaircraft missiles against NATO aircraft.
(WSJ, 5/4/99, p.A17)
1999 Apr 15, NATO bombed TV
transmitters, military installations and bridges throughout
Yugoslavia. Military targets in Montenegro were struck as was the
city of Subotica, near the Hungarian border.
(SFC, 4/16/99, p.A19)
1999 Apr 16, Thousands of
refugees poured out of Kosovo as NATO blasted oil refineries,
military barracks and airports around Yugoslavia. At least 5,000
refugees crossed into Macedonia, and 8,000 into Albania. Some
100,000 were believed to be enroute to Macedonia.
(SFC, 4/16/99, p.A1)
1999 Apr 18, Yugoslav troops
crossed into Montenegro and opened fire on a column of ethnic
Albanian refugees near Rozaje. At least 6 people were killed.
(SFC, 4/21/99, p.A1)
1999 Apr 23, The Yugoslav army
attempted to issue summonses against the heads of the 2 main
independent radio stations, Nebojsa Redzic of Radio Free Montenegro
and Miodrag Perovic of Antenna M. No one accepted the summonses.
(SFC, 4/24/99, p.A13)
1999 Apr 30, NATO undertook
over 600 sorties and strikes in Montenegro and Kosovo reportedly
killed 13 people.
(SFC, 5/1/99, p.A1)
1999 May 20, The Yugoslav army
took control of the borders to prevent men escaping into Bosnia and
to halt the flow of recruits and weapons to the KLA.
(WSJ, 5/21/99, p.A9)
1999 May 24, Montenegro drafted
a decree that would allow it to prosecute all Yugoslav army officers
involved in such acts as the confiscation of humanitarian aid, the
seizure of the borders and breaking into the houses of Montenegrins
evading military service.
(WSJ, 5/25/99, p.A23)
1999 Aug 5, Montenegro proposed
changes to its relationship with Serbia that would dissolve
Yugoslavia and replace it with a loose association.
(SFC, 8/6/99, p.A12)
1999 Dec 8, In Montenegro
Serbian troops occupied the main airport for one day. Montenegro had
planned to assume control of the airport Dec 9.
(SFC, 12/9/99, p.A18)(SFC, 12/10/99, p.D8)
2000 Mar 6, Serbia sealed its
border with Montenegro as relations worsened.
(WSJ, 3/7/00, p.A1)
2000 May 31, In Montenegro
Goran Zugic (39), security advisor to Pres. Milo Dzukanovic, was
gunned down as he arrived home.
(SFC, 6/2/00, p.A18)
2000 Jun 11, In Montenegro
voters kept the pro-West government in the capital, Podgorica, but
elected allies of Slobodan Milosevic in Herceg Novi.
(WSJ, 6/12/00, p.A1)(SFC, 6/13/00, p.A11)
2000 Jun 16, Serb opposition
leader Vuk Draskovic was slightly wounded in an assassination
attempt at his vacation home in Budva, Montenegro. Montenegro
authorities reported the arrest of the attackers.
(SFC, 6/16/00, p.A19)(SFC, 6/17/00, p.A8)
2000 cJun 25, Montenegro told
the UN that it no longer wants to be represented by Yugoslavia.
(WSJ, 6/26/00, p.A1)
2000 Jul 6, Pres. Milosevic
changed the constitution to allow himself to run for re-election. He
also reduced Montenegro’s power in the Yugoslav federation by
changing how delegates are selected for the upper house.
(SFC, 7/7/00, p.A12)
2000 Aug 1, Two Britons and 2
Canadians were arrested in northern Montenegro while driving to
Kosovo on suspicion of spying and terrorism.
(SFC, 8/8/00, p.A12)
2000 Sep 24, Elections in
Serbia and Montenegro showed Vojislav Kostunica leading by a wide
margin over Pres. Milosevic.
(SFC, 9/26/00, p.A1)
2000 Oct 17, Montenegro Pres.
Milo Djukanovic refused to take part in national institutions with
Serbia until the Montenegro-Serbia relationship is redefined.
(SFC, 10/18/00, p.A12)
2000 Nov 10, Pres. Djukanovic
called for international recognition as an independent state from
Serbia. He threatened a referendum on seceding from Yugoslavia
unless their union is radically revamped.
(SFC, 11/11/00, p.A14)
2000 Dec 26, In Montenegro 3
military commanders were dismissed by the Yugoslav top defense body
as a concession to Pres. Djukanovic.
(SFC, 12/27/00, p.A16)
2001 Jan 8, In Montenegro
assassins killed a senior secret-service officer in Podgorica.
(WSJ, 1/09/01, p.A1)
2001 Feb 1, Pres. Milo
Djukanovic visited Washington DC to explain his reasons for
independence, but Sc. Of State Colin Powell refused to see him.
(SFC, 2/2/01, p.D4)
2001 Apr 22, In Montenegro
parliamentary elections pro-independence advocates won 42% of the
seats vs. 40.6% for the opposition.
(SFC, 4/22/01, p.D1)(SFC, 4/23/01, p.A8)(SFC,
4/24/01, p.A10)
2001 Jun 16, It was reported
that the weekly Nacional had accused Pres. Djukanovic of amassing
$65 million from cigarette smuggling over the last decade and had
ordered contract killings of associates.
(SSFC, 6/17/01, p.A16)
2001 Jul 17, Pres. Kostunica
appointed Dragisa Pesic as the new Prime Minister.
(SFC, 7/18/01, p.C4)
2002 Mar 14, Yugoslavia was
declared dead as Serbia and Montenegro agreed to rename their
federation: “Serbia and Montenegro.”
(SFC, 3/15/02, p.A6)
2002 Mar 20, A pro-independence
party quit the ruling coalition to protest the federation deal with
Serbia.
(WSJ, 3/21/02, p.A1)
2002 Apr 19, PM Filip Vujanovic
resigned over the coalition deal with Serbia.
(SFC, 4/20/02, p.A13)
2002 Oct 20, In Montenegro the
pro-independence party of Pres. Milo Djukanovic won 39 of the 75
seats.
(AP, 10/20/02)(SFC, 10/21/02, p.A5)
2002 Nov 5, Montenegro's ruling
party nominated president Milo Djukanovic to serve as the new prime
minister. The presidential vote is set for Dec 22.
(AP, 11/5/02)
2002 Nov, In Montenegro
Svetlana C. (28) of Moldava escaped from a brothel near the capital,
Podgorica, and went to the police. Local newspapers reported that
politicians and other members of Montenegro's ruling elite
frequented the brothel and took part in orgies at which women were
tortured.
(AP, 7/7/03)
2002 Dec 22, Montenegro held
presidential elections but voters failed to turn out in sufficient
numbers.
(AP, 12/22/02)(WSJ, 12/24/02, p.A1)
2003 Jan 29, Montenegro
lawmakers voted to abolish Yugoslavia and replace it with a loose
union of semi-independent states called Serbia and Montenegro.
(SFC, 1/30/03, p.A8)
2003 Feb 4, Yugoslavia’s
parliament transformed the federation into a loose union between
Montenegro and Serbia and retired the name “Yugoslavia.”
(WSJ, 2/5/03, p.A1)
2003 Feb 9, Montenegro's 2nd
attempt in 2 months to elect a president failed.
(AP, 2/10/03)
2003 Mar 3, Lawmakers
from Serbia and Montenegro inaugurated their new parliament,
formally replacing Yugoslavia with the new state.
(AP, 3/3/03)
2003 Apr 3, Serbia and
Montenegro became a member of the Council of Europe.
(AP, 4/3/03)
2003 May 11, Montenegro held
its 3rd presidential election in six months and former prime
minister Filip Vujanovic, who favors independence from Serbia, won a
landslide victory. He promised to hold a referendum in 3 years on
whether to split with Serbia.
(AP, 5/11/03)(AP, 5/12/03)(WSJ, 5/13/03, p.A1)
2003 Sep 7, Goran Markovic's
"The Cordon", a film from Serbia and Montenegro about the behavior
of policemen during the demonstrations against president Slobodan
Milosevic in 1997, won the top prize at the Montreal film festival.
(Reuters, 9/7/03)
2003 Nov 13, Svetozar Marovic,
Serbia-Montenegro's president, apologized in Sarajevo for the pain
his country inflicted upon Bosnia during the 1992-95 war.
(AP, 11/14/03)
2003 Nov 13, Serbia dissolved
its parliament and announced early elections, signaling the collapse
of the government three years after the ouster of Slobodan
Milosevic. PM Zoran Zivkovic to agree, under pressure from political
defectors and Milosevic supporters, to set a new parliamentary vote
for Dec. 28, a year ahead of schedule.
(AP, 11/14/03)
2004 May 28, In Montenegro
gunmen shot dead Dusko Jovanovic, the editor of a conservative
daily. PM Djukanovic had sued Jovanovic and the Dan daily for
stories linking the premier to a major human trafficking case. A
court hearing was to begin next month. Damir Mandic was tried and
acquitted in 2006 but that ruling was overturned after an appeal,
and a retrial was held. In 2009 the Montenegro Higher Court ruled
that karate expert Damir Mandic was guilty of the "well-planned and
premeditated" murder of editor Dusko Jovanovic.
(AP, 5/28/04)(AP, 4/28/09)
2005 Feb 22, Montenegro's
President Filip Vujanovic and PM Milo Djukanovic proposed the
peaceful disintegration of Serbia-Montenegro, suggesting that the
two former Yugoslav republics recognize each other as sovereign
states.
(AP, 2/23/05)
2005 Feb 23, Serbia's prime
minister and other top officials flatly rejected Montenegro's
proposal for a final split of their joint state.
(AP, 2/23/05)
2005 Apr 12, An EU feasibility
study deemed Serbia and Montenegro worthy to start accession talks.
(Econ, 4/16/05, p.43)
2005 Apr, Oleg Deripaska,
Russian oligarch, planned to buy KAP, Montenegro’s aluminium plant.
KAP accounted for up to 40% of Montenegro’s GDP and was seen as an
environmental nightmare. The deal included $20 million for
environmental clean-up.
(Econ, 4/30/05, p.47)
2005 Jun 9, The US lifted its
freeze on a $10 million aid package for Serbia-Montenegro, saying
the Balkan country had shown better cooperation with the UN war
crimes tribunal.
(AP, 6/9/05)
2005 Jul, Montenegro agreed to
pay Croatia $460,000 in war compensation for cattle taken by its
soldiers in June, 1991.
(Econ, 7/30/05, p.46)
2005 Oct 21, Lawmakers of
Serbia and Montenegro elected Zoran Stankovic (51), a reported
ally of notorious war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic, as the new
defense minister.
(AP, 10/21/05)
2006 Jan 23, In Montenegro a
packed passenger train derailed and plunged into a steep river
canyon outside the capital of Podgorica, killing at least 44 people
and injuring more than 135, more than half of them children.
(AP, 1/24/06)
2006 Feb 16, Serbia rejected
European Union's guidelines for an independence vote in Montenegro,
increasing tensions within the troubled Balkan state.
(AP, 2/16/06)
2006 May 21, Montenegro voted
by a slim margin to secede from Serbia and form a separate nation,
erasing the last vestiges of the former Yugoslavia. More than 55
percent of Montenegrins voted for independence.
(Econ, 3/4/06, p.47)(AP, 5/22/06)(AFP, 7/19/18)
2006 May 23, Serbia's president
said he recognized the results of the independence vote in
Montenegro that will separate the tiny Adriatic republic from its
union with Serbia.
(AP, 5/23/06)
2006 Jun 3, Montenegro's
parliament declared independence from Serbia, forming Europe's
newest country and dissolving the last vestiges of the former
Yugoslavia.
(AP, 6/3/06)
2006 Jun 15, The Serbian
government recognized newly independent Montenegro, and said it
would establish diplomatic ties with its former partner.
(AP, 6/15/06)
2006 Jun 22, The UN Security
Council unanimously recommended that newly independent Montenegro
become the 192nd member of the United Nations.
(AP, 6/23/06)
2006 Jun 28, The UN General
Assembly unanimously admitted the newly independent Republic of
Montenegro as the 192nd member of the world body.
(AP, 6/28/06)
2006 Sep 10, Montenegrins voted
in the first parliamentary elections since the tiny state split from
Serbia. Police announced a crackdown on an alleged ethnic Albanian
terrorist group authorities said had threatened the ballot. The
coalition of PM Milo Djukanovic headed for an absolute majority with
a projected 41 seats in the 81-seat parliament.
(AP, 9/10/06)(SFC, 9/11/06, p.A3)
2006 Sep 12, Montenegro's
election authorities said the governing pro-Western coalition led by
Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic won last weekend's parliamentary
elections.
(AP, 9/12/06)
2006 Nov 29, NATO leaders
finished a two-day summit without agreement on some members' refusal
to send troops into combat in Afghanistan's most dangerous regions.
NATO vowed to give its troubled mission in Afghanistan the "forces,
resources and flexibility needed" to tackle increasingly ferocious
Taliban fighters. Leaders invited Serbia, Montenegro and
Bosnia-Herzegovina to join a program considered a first step toward
eventual membership, but urged Serbia and Bosnia to fully cooperate
with the UN war crimes tribunal.
(AP, 11/29/06)(AFP, 11/29/06)
2007 Feb 21, Montenegro police
arrested Smail Tulja (67) in his home in Montenegro's capital,
Podgorica, on an international arrest warrant that the authorities
received from FBI and Interpol agents. He was wanted for the killing
and dismemberment of an elderly woman in New York City in 1990 and
is also suspected in similar slayings of women throughout Europe.
(AP, 2/22/07)
2007 Mar 12, In Nigeria’s oil
region hostage takers released 3 European captives. 2 Croatians and
one Montenegrin seized Feb. 18 in Port Harcourt were in good health
after their release to state officials.
(AP, 3/12/07)
2007 Mar 15, Montenegro signed
a stabilization and association agreement (SAA), usually the first
step toward EU membership.
(Econ, 3/24/07, p.60)
2007 Jun 17, Authorities in
Montenegro arrested Vlastimir Djordjevic, Serbia's assistant
interior minister and chief of the Public Security Department
(1997-2001), wanted for murder and persecution of ethnic Albanians
in Kosovo.
(AP, 6/17/07)
2007 Oct 15, Montenegro signed
a stabilization and association agreement with the EU, normally a
step towards membership.
(Econ, 10/20/07, p.72)
2007 Elizabeth Roberts authored
“Realm of the Black Mountain: A History of Montenegro.”
(Econ, 2/3/07, p.85)
2008 Apr 6, Montenegrins voted
in the tiny Balkan state's first presidential election since it
split from Serbia two years ago. President Filip Vujanovic won
re-election by a landslide, cementing Montenegro's westward economic
and political course since breaking away from Serbia two years ago.
(AP, 4/6/08)(AP, 4/7/08)
2008 Aug 5, In Montenegro 4
Michigan residents were among 12 ethnic Albanians convicted of
plotting a rebellion to carve out a homeland within the tiny Balkan
republic.
(AP, 8/5/08)
2008 Aug 21, A Montenegrin
court ordered three US citizens and seven other ethnic Albanians
back to prison after convicting them of plotting a rebellion to
establish an Albanian autonomous region within the Adriatic country.
(AP, 8/22/08)
2008 Oct 9, Montenegro and
Macedonia recognized Kosovo's independence, despite opposition from
Serbia, which called the moves by its Balkan neighbors a betrayal
and expelled the Montenegrin ambassador from Belgrade.
(AP, 10/9/08)
2008 The population of
Montenegro numbered about 650,000.
(Econ, 1/10/09, p.46)
2009 Jan, In Montenegro a huge
aluminium factory on the edge of Podgornica struggled under falling
metal prices. Controlled by Oleg Deripaska, a Russian tycoon, it
depended on large quantities of subsidized electricity. The factory
and its related industries accounted for 40% of the country’s GDP.
(Econ, 1/10/09, p.46)
2009 Nov 30, The EU Council of
Ministers for Interior and Justice abolished visa requirements for
citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area#Current)
2009 Dec 19, The European Union
opened its borders unrestricted to more than ten million Serbs,
Montenegrins and Macedonians after nearly 20 years, a major boost
for the troubled region's hopes for closer ties with the 27-nation
bloc.
(AP, 12/19/09)
2009 Dec, Police in Uruguay
seized a large amount of cocaine from an anchored yacht as part of
an operation dubbed “Balkan Warrior.” 2.7 tons were seized in the
operation. In 2010 Serbia indicted Darko Saric, a Serb citizen from
Montenegro, and 19 associates of smuggling drugs from South America
to Europe. Saric disappeared but financial documents linked him to
companies registered in the Marshall Islands and Delaware via the
Bank of Cyprus and an Austrian bank in Montenegro, a branch of Hypo
Group Alpe-Adria.
(Econ, 5/8/10, p.56)(Econ, 9/11/10, p.63)
2010 May 30, In Montenegro Ivan
Vracar allegedly pulled a pistol on him and killed Dragan Dudic, the
owner of the Maximus disco and other enterprises. Dudic was being
investigated in connection with money laundering and was a close
associate of Darko Saric, a man on the run and who is accused of
being the kingpin of a major drug smuggling gang.
(www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2010/05/montenegrin_murder)(Econ,
9/11/10, p.63)
2010 Nov, Italy and Montenegro
agreed to build an undersea cable to let Montenegro export
electricity.
(Econ, 12/18/10, p.100)
2010 Dec 29, Igor Luksic
(b.1976) took office as prime minister of Montenegro.
(Econ, 6/16/12,
p.63)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Luk%C5%A1i%C4%87)
2010 Dec 2, Heavy snow caused
travel chaos across much of northern Europe, keeping London's
Gatwick airport closed for a second day and disrupting road and rail
travel in France, Germany and Switzerland. Freezing temperatures and
often blinding snowfall killed 12 people, 10 in Poland and 2 in
Germany. Poland had already reported 8 dead due to the cold. Some of
the worst floods in a century devastated parts of the Balkans.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in Bosnia, Serbia and
Montenegro.
(Reuters, 12/2/10)(AP, 12/2/10)
2010 Dec 3, Authorities in
Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro declared a state of emergency and
evacuated hundreds of people after heavy rainfall caused severe
flooding along the Drina River, the worst in 104 years.
(AP, 12/3/10)
2011 Nov 7, Officials from
Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia, announced plans for a
donors' conference to be held next year and raise the money needed
to implement a five-year plan designed to close down all migrant
centers and provide housing for some 74,000 people.
(AP, 11/7/11)
2012 Feb 22, In Montenegro US
Army Black Hawk helicopters began dropping food, medicine and
livestock feed to people stranded in the central mountains as
villagers were hit by the country’s heaviest snowfall in 60 years.
(SSFC, 2/26/12, p.A4)
2012 Jul 16, Firefighters in
Montenegro struggled to contain wildfires that threatened an ancient
pine forest in the northeast of the country. The blaze had reached
the outer rim of the Crna Poda forest, where some of the pine trees
are 400 years old.
(AP, 7/16/12)
2012 Jul 24, In Montenegro some
850 Roma people, who had fled Kosovo during the 1998-99 war, lost
their belongings in the fire that swept through the refugee barracks
in the suburb of Konik. No one was injured.
(AP, 7/25/12)
2012 Oct 14, Montenegro held
elections. The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) led by Milo
Djukanovic won.
(Econ, 10/20/12, p.50)
2013 Mar 29, A court in Bosnia
convicted a Montenegrin man of multiple counts of murder, torture,
rape and looting during Bosnia's 1992-95 war, and sentenced him to
45 years in prison. A judge said Veselin Vlahovic (43) killed 31
people, raped a number of Bosniak and Croat women and tortured and
robbed non-Serb residents of a Sarajevo suburb while fighting for
the Bosnian Serbs.
(AP, 3/29/13)
2013 Apr 7, Montenegro held
elections.
(AP, 4/20/13)
2013 Apr 8, Montenegro’s
election commission said incumbent Filip Vujanovic has won a 3rd
term as president with 51.2% of the vote over challenger Miodrag
Lekic, who received 48.8%.
(SFC, 4/9/13, p.A2)
2013 Apr 20, In Montenegro more
than 5,000 opposition supporters rallied claiming their leader was
cheated of victory in the April 7 presidential ballot. The
opposition claimed their candidate Miodrag Lekic was robbed.
(AP, 4/20/13)
2013 Jun 23, In Montenegro a
bus fell from a bridge over the Moraca river during a rainstorm and
crashed some 40 meters (130 feet) into a ravine. 18 Romanian
tourists were killed and 28 hospitalized.
(AP, 6/24/13)
2013 Jul 24, In Montenegro
several hundred extremists shouting "Kill the gays" attacked gay
activists and clashed with police in a bid to disrupt the first ever
pride event in the staunchly conservative country.
(AP, 7/24/13)
2013 Oct 20, Montenegro police
used tear gas against dozens of rock-throwing opponents of a gay
pride march in Podgorica.
(AP, 10/20/13)
2013 Dec 27, In Montenegro an
overnight bomb blast shook the offices of the leading daily Vijesti
in the latest attack on a newspaper known for its criticism of the
authorities under long-term leader Milo Djukanovic.
(Reuters, 12/27/13)
2014 Feb 15, Montenegro police
fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of
stone-throwing protesters who were blaming the government for high
unemployment, economic mismanagement and alleged corruption, and
demanding its resignation.
(AP, 2/15/14)
2014 Jun 4, Montenegro
authorities seized 250 kilograms of cocaine from South America in
one of the biggest-ever drug busts in nation.
(AP, 6/5/14)
2014 Nov 2, In Montenegro, a
staunchly conservative Balkan country seeking EU membership, about
200 gay activists marched peacefully protected by hundreds of riot
police.
(AP, 11/2/14)
2015 Jan 16, In Montenegro
hundreds of Serb nationalists demonstrated against a visit by Kosovo
Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci, chanting "Kill! Kill!" as he met with
his counterpart Igor Luiksic. Serb nationalists accuse Thaci, a
former ethnic Albanian rebel leader, of war crimes against Kosovo
Serbs during the 1998-99 war for independence.
(AP, 1/16/15)
2015 Apr 17, Montenegro police
said they have arrested 16 people suspected of smuggling into Serbia
138 Syrian migrants who were trying to flee their war-ravaged
country and reach Western Europe.
(AP, 4/17/15)
2015 Aug 4, Russia's PM Dmitry
Medvedev ordered preparation of retaliatory measures against several
non-EU European nations that have joined the European Union's
sanctions against Russia. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway,
Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine joined the EU sanctions
last week.
(AP, 8/4/15)
2015 Aug 13, Russia broadened a
food embargo imposed in retaliation for Western sanctions over
Ukraine to include Iceland, a significant fish importer, as well as
Montenegro, Albania and Liechtenstein.
(AFP, 8/13/15)
2015 Dec 2, NATO invited
Montenegro to become the 29th member of the US-led military
alliance, defying Russia's warnings it would have to respond to what
it branded a threat to its security. Russia said it will end joint
projects with Montenegro if the ex-Communist country joins NATO.
(AFP, 12/2/15)(Reuters, 12/2/15)
2015 Dec 17, Montenegro police
detained Svetozar Marovic (60), who served as president of
Serbia-Montenegro before Montenegro split from the union in 2006, on
suspicion of abuse of power and embezzlement of millions of euros.
(AP, 12/17/15)
2016 Mar 28, Montenegro
authorities deported 58 foreigners, including 43 Russians,
associated with a religious cult. Local media reported that they are
members of Aum Shinrikyo, the Japanese doomsday cult that carried
out a deadly nerve gas attack on Tokyo's subway in 1995.
(AP, 3/29/16)
2016 May 19, NATO invited the
Balkan nation of Montenegro to become its 29th member, agreeing to
expand for only the seventh time in its history despite Russia's
angry objections.
(AP, 5/19/16)
2016 Jun 22, The Pentagon said
a Yemeni man who had been held at the US military prison at
Guantanamo for 14 years has been transferred to Montenegro. The
transfer of Abdel Malik Ahmed Abdel Wahab al-Rahabi (36) left 79
detainees remaining at the base. He was brought to Guantanamo in
January 2002, accused of being a bodyguard for the late al Qaeda
leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.
(AP, 6/23/16)
2016 Aug 4, Montenegro's police
arrested Vlado Zmajevic (47) suspected of killing at least six
ethnic Albanians, including two women, in a Kosovo village in 1999.
(AP, 8/4/16)
2016 Aug 4, Kosovo's government
ratified a border demarcation agreement with neighboring Montenegro,
despite disapproval from the opposition. The government sent the
deal to the Parliament, which was expected to concur.
(AP, 8/4/16)
2016 Aug 30, Montenegrin police
used pepper spray to stop laid-off employees of an aluminum smelter
from storming the parliament building.
(AP, 8/30/16)
2016 Oct 16, In Montenegro a
coup attempt included plans to assassinate the pro-Western PM Milo
Djukanovic because of his government's bid to join NATO.
(AP, 4/13/17)
2016 Nov 6, Montenegro’s chief
special prosecutor said Russian nationalists were behind the alleged
Oct 16 coup attempt that included plans to assassinate the
pro-Western prime minister because of his government's bid to join
NATO.
(AP, 11/6/16)
2016 Nov 7, Montenegrin
lawmakers convened for the first time since last month's election,
with opposition parties boycotting the inaugural session. The
session in Cetinje was attended by 42 lawmakers of the 81-seat
parliament.
(AP, 11/7/16)
2016 Nov 19, Montenegro
officials inaugurated a cemetery for German soldiers killed in the
country during WW II, hailing it as an act of reconciliation
important for the future. About 2,000 German soldiers are believed
to have been killed in Montenegro. About 500 have been unearthed so
far and the rest are considered missing.
(AP, 11/19/16)
2016 Nov 28, Montenegro's
parliament endorsed a new cabinet led by Dusko Markovic (58), a
former head of the secret police who pledged to lead the country's
accession to NATO and the European Union.
(Reuters, 11/28/16)
2016 Dec 14, Montenegro's
defense minister said the small Balkan country will decide whether
to join NATO in a parliamentary vote and not a popular referendum as
sought by the opposition and Russia.
(AP, 12/14/16)
2016 Dec 17, In Montenegro
dozens of people in Podgorica participated in a gay pride event in
the highly conservative state where authorities have promised to
boost gay rights as part of efforts to join the European Union.
(AP, 12/17/16)
2017 Jan 28, It was reported
that heavily-armed police are guarding the streets of
Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, after a spike in gangland
violence rattled the Balkan country, which is on the brink of
joining NATO.
(AFP, 1/28/17)
2017 Feb 9, A Serbian court
rejected an extradition request by Montenegro for Nemanja Ristic, a
suspect in an alleged pro-Russia plot to overthrow the small Balkan
country's government.
(AP, 2/10/17)
2017 Feb 15, Montenegro's
parliament voted to strip two pro-Russian opposition MPs of their
immunity over alleged involvement in a foiled coup last October, but
a prosecutor ruled the pair would not be arrested.
(AFP, 2/15/17)
2017 Feb 17, In Montenegro
dozens of women who braved cold weather to spend a night outside
government headquarters to protest cuts in state aid for mothers of
three or more children dispersed and agreed to meet a government
delegation next week.
(AP, 2/17/17)
2017 Mar 14, Montenegro's
former PM Milo Djukanovic called on the European Union to stop
Russia's "destructive" influence in the Balkans.
(AP, 3/14/17)
2017 Mar 28, Montenegro became
set to become NATO's 29th member following the US Senate's
overwhelming ratification.
(AP, 3/29/17)
2017 Apr 13, Montenegro's
special prosecutor indicted two Russians and 12 other people for
allegedly plotting a coup last October that included plans to kill
the country's former prime minister. The Russians, identified as
Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, allegedly coordinated the
operation from neighboring Serbia.
(AP, 4/13/17)
2017 Apr 27, Montenegro's PM
Dusko Markovic said Russia has banned the import of its best-known
wine because of the Balkan country's decision to become a member of
NATO. Markovic said Russian authorities reported finding pesticides
and plastic in wine and other products made by the Plantaze company.
(AP, 4/27/17)
2017 Apr 28, Montenegro’s
parliament ratified the country's membership agreement with NATO,
taking the tiny former Yugoslav republic one step closer to becoming
the 29th member of the Atlantic alliance.
(Reuters, 4/28/17)
2017 Jun 5, Montenegro silently
celebrated its entry into NATO in a historic turn that has made the
Kremlin furious. Montenegro, with an army numbering under 2,000
personnel, became the 29th member of the world's biggest
military alliance, and one of its smallest contributors..
(AP, 6/5/17)(AP, 6/7/17)(AFP, 7/19/18)
2017 Jun 8, Montenegro's higher
court confirmed prosecution indictments against 14 people, including
two Russians charged with masterminding a coup attempt last Oct 16
aimed at preventing Montenegro from joining NATO.
(AP, 6/8/17)
2017 Jun, US agents extracted a
high-level mole in the Russian government who had confirmed Vladimir
Putin's direct role in interfering in the 2016 presidential
election. This was only made public in 2019. On Sept. 10, 2019,
Russian daily newspaper Kommersant said the official may have been a
man called Oleg Smolenkov, who was reported to have disappeared with
his wife, Antonina, and three children while on holiday in
Montenegro in June 2017.
(AFP, 9/10/19)(Reuters, 9/10/19)
2017 Jul 17, Croatian
firefighters battled for a second day to try and control a raging
forest fire along the Adriatic coast that has destroyed or damaged
several buildings in villages located around the city of Split. At
least 100 tourists have been forced to evacuate from a coastal area
in Montenegro due to the fires.
(Reuters, 7/17/17)(AP, 7/17/17)
2017 Aug 2, US VP Mike Pence
spoke in Montenegro at the opening of a US-backed summit of top
Balkan officials. He pledged Washington's commitment to the area
that Russia also considers a zone of interest. Kosovo's president
said Pence pledged to help eliminate the obstacles to Kosovo
becoming a full NATO member.
(AP, 8/2/17)
2017 Aug 26, In Albania prime
ministers from Western Balkans countries agreed on a road map to
deepen their regional economic cooperation as part of the process
for joining the European Union. Albanian PM Edi Rama hosted his
counterparts from Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Macedonia
and Montenegro.
(AP, 8/26/17)
2017 Sep 13, Police in Bosnia
and Montenegro arrested 21 men suspected of smuggling close to 200
Turks to the European Union. They had transferred migrants by plane
from Istanbul to Sarajevo and Podgorica.
(Reuters, 9/14/17)
2017 Sep 23, In Montenegro
about 200 people have gathered at an LGBT pride event urging more
rights and zero tolerance for violence against gay people in the
conservative Balkan country.
(AP, 9/23/17)
2017 Oct 26, In Montenegro a
key witness in the trial of 14 suspected plotters to topple the
government directly implicated an alleged Russian secret service
operative in organizing a coup attempt by supplying money and
defining goals in order to prevent the small Balkan nation from
joining NATO. Aleksandar Sindjelic testified in court that Eduard
Shishmakov gave him money to organize about 500 people to trigger
disturbances in the capital, Podgorica, on the day of last year's
parliamentary election.
(AP, 10/26/17)
2017 Oct 30, Montenegro’s
defense minister said the Greek and Italian air forces will protect
the airspace over the newest NATO-member state. Montenegro joined
NATO in June as the military alliance's 29th member.
(AP, 10/30/17)
2018 Jan 30, Montenegro signed
a 30 million euro ($37 million) deal to buy three helicopters made
by Bell Helicopter, part of Textron Inc, in a drive by NATO's newest
member to bolster its defenses.
(Reuters, 1/30/18)
2018 Feb 6, The EU warned
Balkan countries hoping to join the bloc that none will be invited
until they have resolved all disputes with their neighbors. This
applied to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Serbia and its former territory of Kosovo.
(AP, 2/6/18)
2018 Feb 16, Kosovo and
Montenegro announced they had reached a deal on a 2015 border
agreement between the two countries, a step toward Kosovo gaining
visa-free travel to the European Union.
(Reuters, 2/16/18)
2018 Feb 22, Montenegro police
said a Yugoslav army veteran who manned anti-aircraft defenses
during the NATO bombing in 1999 tossed a hand grenade into the US
embassy compound in Podgorica, around midnight and then blew himself
up. Media named him as Dalibor Jaukovic (43), a decorated Yugoslav
army veteran.
(Reuters, 2/22/18)(SFC, 2/23/18, p.A2)
2018 Mar 28, Montenegro decided
to expel a Russian diplomat over the poisoning of a former Russian
double agent that the British government has blamed on Moscow.
(Reuters, 3/28/18)
2018 Apr 2, Russia's foreign
ministry said a diplomat from Montenegro will be expelled, after
Montenegro expelled a Russian diplomat over a nerve agent attack in
England that the British government has blamed on Russia.
(Reuters, 4/2/18)
2018 Apr 15, The people of
Montenegro began voting in polls expected to see pro-Western
six-time former prime minister Milo Djukanovic elected as president
of the tiny Balkan nation that is aspiring to join the EU.
Djukanovic won the presidential election to extend his dominance
over the country's politics.
(AFP, 4/15/18)(Reuters, 4/16/18)
2018 May 4, Kosovo's President
Hashim Thaci agreed the country's border with Montenegro, a
development that takes Kosovo one step nearer to joining Europe's
free travel Schengen zone. Montenegro has already approved the deal.
(AP, 5/4/18)
2018 May 8, In Montenegro
assailants opened fire and wounded crime and corruption journalist
Olivera Lakic, who works for the independent Vijesti daily. She has
written about alleged murky businesses involving top state officials
and their families.
(AP, 5/9/18)
2018 May 9, In Montenegro
hundreds protested in Podgorica after unknown assailants shot and
wounded Olivera Lakic, a prominent crime and corruption reporter a
day earlier.
(AP, 5/9/18)
2018 May 9, An international
report was released into the situation of the Roma people in the
Western Balkans. It showed that up to 93 percent of Roma women are
unemployed, with one-third of all Roma families there going to bed
hungry. The study covered Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo.
(AP, 5/9/18)
2018 Jun 5, NATO aircraft
started policing Montenegro's airspace, a year after the small
Adriatic state became a member of the Western military alliance
despite strong opposition from Russia.
(AP, 6/5/18)
2018 Jun 7, Montenegrin state
TV's managing board removed director general Andrijana Kadija,
citing an allegedly damaging agreement with a rights group.
(AP, 6/8/18)
2018 Jul 24, Hungary's PM
Viktor Orban offered to help small Montenegro guard its borders
against migrants, insisting that the Balkans should remain closed
for people trying to reach Western Europe.
(AP, 7/24/18)
2018 Oct 31, Albanian police
said they have arrested five people suspected of trafficking
migrants from Greece to Montenegro following a months-long
investigation.
(AP, 10/31/18)
2018 Nov 6, Representatives
from Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia signed an
agreement to identify victims of the 1990s wars. Around 12,000
people were still not accounted for out of the 40,000 missing from
the wars that tore apart the former Yugoslavia.
(AFP, 11/7/18)
2018 Nov 30, Montenegrin police
arrested Nebojsa Medojevic, a lawmaker and a prominent opposition
leader, after a high court ordered he serve a two-month jail
sentence passed in March for refusing to testify about high-level
corruption.
(Reuters, 11/30/18)
2019 Apr 4, Six Balkan
countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia,
Montenegro and Kosovo) signed an EU-backed agreement in Belgrade to
abolish roaming charges by 2021 as part of efforts to boost
cooperation in the region.
(AP, 4/4/19)
2019 Apr 19, Montenegrin
military police seized around 50 kg of drugs on board a naval
training ship, hours before it was scheduled to take students on a
training cruise.
(Reuters, 4/19/19)
2019 May 9, A Montenegro court
sentenced 13 people, including two Russian secret service
operatives, to up to 15 years in prison after they were convicted of
plotting to overthrow the Balkan country's government on Oct. 16,
2016, and prevent it from joining NATO. The two Russians, identified
as Eduard Shishmakov and Vladimir Popov, were tried in absentia.
(AP, 5/09/19)
2019 Jun 3, A UN said people in
all major cities across the western Balkans face alarming levels of
air pollution that are reducing their life expectancies because the
underdeveloped, politically fragile region is still heavily reliant
on burning coal to generate power. The report was prepared
cooperation with the WHO and air quality management institutions in
Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
(AP, 6/3/19)
2019 Dec 15, In Montenegro
police Officer Milutin Lekovic (41) was shot and killed while
apprehending suspects. Three Albanian nationals were soon detained
in connection with the slaying. Lekovic had detained three suspects
he had caught without documents in the area that is close to the
border with European Union member Croatia.
(AP, 12/16/19)
2019 Dec 24, In Montenegro
Serbian Orthodox Church clergy protested against the planned
adoption of a religious law that they say will strip the church of
its property. The law envisages that religious communities in
Montenegro would need to produce evidence of ownership over their
property from before 1918, when Montenegro joined a Balkan kingdom.
(AP, 12/24/19)
2019 Dec 27, Montenegro’s
Parliament adopted a contested law on religious rights after chaotic
scenes that saw the detention of all pro-Serb opposition lawmakers.
The government pushed through parliament a bill that requires
religious groups to prove ownership over land and places of worship
they had before 1918, or see the property become state-owned.
(AP, 12/27/19)(Bloomberg, 3/7/20)
2020 Jan 2, In Serbia a crowd
targeted the Montenegro's unguarded embassy in Belgrade during a
protest of a religious rights law adopted by Montenegro's parliament
last month.
(SFC, 1/4/20, p.A4)
2020 Feb 29, In Montenegro
thousands of people, led by Serbian Orthodox Church clerics, marched
peacefully through the Podgorica in protest against a law they fear
will be used to target the church's assets and status.
(Reuters, 2/29/20)
