Montenegro warns indictment of Albanian flag show

“Since the flag of Montenegro's neighbouring state without Montenegro's national flag has appeared at the gathering, in question we will hand over the criminal indictment to competent bodies against the organiser. We stress that cultural manifestations cannot venture for any kind of nationalism, nor for violating standards that are clearly defined with the positive legal provisions of Montenegro”, it is said in the statement.

Further, interethnic and interreligious harmony is said to be one of the fundamental assets of Montenegrin society.

“Respecting the rights of all citizens of Montenegro who cultivate cultural and national identity, we once again stress the need to respect existing legal provisions so that similar reactions can be avoided in the future. Because, the laws of Montenegro must be the same for all”, the statement of the Ministry of Culture concludes.

The Ministry of Culture's warning has reacted to Montenegro's Deputy Speaker Genc Nimanbegou and the coalition retaining power in the Tuzi Community, the Albanian Forum.

I'm so surprised. The Ministry of Culture and its employees absolutely need to know that we, as an Albanian people autochton in Montenegro, have our national symbol that under the Constitution we have the right to free use, and everything else, in my opinion, is the start of disputes with our people”, said Nimanbeg's reaction.

Nimanbegu has added that for this warned indictment, he will talk to representatives of other Albanian parties and do “see the proper way to counternegotiate”.

In this context, the Albanian Forum, which described the indictment as a stain for Montenegro's own ministry of culture and government.

For Albanians, your indictment means nothing, but you've just soiled yourself”, says the Albanian Forum's statement.

Addressing the Minister of Culture, the Albanian Forum notes that “is necessary at the level of all national political subjects to consider further participation in the government at whose helm stands a minister who has such an attitude towards Albanian cultural activities”.

This political alliance says the Ministry of Culture “should know that the show of the flag at the mass mentioned is not only the flag of the Republic of Albania, but is the national symbol of all Albanians, wherever they live, the flag that has left the biggest Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastriot-Skshraheu”.

The law on national symbols in Montenegro envisions fines for using every national flag without Montenegro's state flag.

Recently, the case has been marked by a citizen in Ulcinj, who was convicted because there were two small Albanian flags in his car, while in Malta another citizen had placed the Albanian flag in his private home. The proposal for changing this law has been handed over to Albanian representatives in the Montenegrin parliament, but in the parliamentary vote this proposal did not receive the majority of votes in parliament. / VoA