Montenegro blocks entry to 87 Serbs over security concerns ahead of EU summit
Police said the men had communication equipment and banners tied to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s campaign slogan, and some had criminal records.
- Montenegrin authorities barred 87 Serbian nationals from entering at Tivat Airport, citing security threats ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit scheduled for Friday.
- Police discovered the detained individuals carried communication devices and banners reading "Serbia Wins," a slogan associated with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party.
- Security agencies reported they "gathered operational data and intelligence that indicate without a doubt that the presence in Montenegro of the individuals in question would pose a risk for internal and national security." Some individuals had criminal records and participated in "numerous high-risk public gatherings."
- Following the ban, authorities prohibited the 87 individuals from entering Montenegro and will impose residence restrictions for a period. The Tivat summit focuses on membership prospects for six Western Balkan candidate countries.
- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is expected to attend the summit following discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, despite recently supporting pro-Serbian parties in Montenegro that opposed NATO.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Four Serbian citizens entered the territory of Montenegro on June 2 with the aim of providing accommodation in prestigious hotels in Tivat for part of the group that was expelled from the country yesterday, from the airport in that coastal city, due to threats to national security - "Vijesti" learns. The team of 87 men landed in Tivat yesterday morning at 10:41 on a charter flight of the Serbian national airline "Air Serbia", and shortly before …
Montenegrin border police at Tivat Airport refused entry and shortly before 4 p.m. returned to Belgrade a group of Serbian citizens, among whom there are mostly people with criminal records, who have been mentioned in the Serbian media for years as people hired for special tasks of the SNS regime.
A group of 87 Serbs close to criminal circles landed in Tivat two days before the EU-Western Balkans summit and fell into the hands of the police.
Associated Press News
Montenegro blocks entry to 87 Serbs over security concerns ahead of EU summit
Montenegro has blocked 87 Serbian men from entering the country after they were deemed to pose a security threat ahead of a European Union summit with Western Balkan leaders.
What happened at the Tivat airport has become an international scandal: President Aleksandar Vučić sent thugs to the venue of an important international summit for his own protection, but the local authorities sent them back.
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