MOSCOW, April 28. /TASS/. Moscow deeply regrets Montenegro’s decision to join NATO. Montenegro’s authorities have not heeded the voice of reason, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"Following the parliament’s decision of April 28 on Montenegro’s joining NATO, we have to state with deep regret that the current leaders of that country and their Western patrons have failed to heed the voice of reason and conscience," the ministry said.
"Adoption of fundamental acts concerning basic issues of the state’s security through voting of separate lawmakers on the basis of a formal majority without asking the nation’s opinion is a demonstrative act of violating all democratic norms and principles," the ministry stressed.
Russia reserves right to take measures
Moscow reserves the right to take measures aimed at protecting its interests and national security after Montenegro’s joining NATO, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"Taking into account Montenegro’s potential, the North Atlantic Alliance is unlikely to have a considerable ‘added value,’" the ministry said. "But Moscow cannot but take into account strategic consequences of this step. That is why we reserve the right to take such decisions which are aimed at the protection of our interests and national security."
Those who voted for joining NATO under a pretext of an alleged Russian threat will be responsible "for the consequences of the implementation of plans of external forces seeking to widen the existing division line in Europe and the Balkans, to drive a wedge in the friendly relations between Montenegrins and Serbs and Russians that are based on deep history-rooted traditions," the ministry said.
"Disgraceful episodes of illegal NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia which claimed human lives, including children’s, in Montenegro as well, are hypocritically interpreted as the fault of Serbia which was in conflict with the alliance," the ministry said. "The will of nearly half of the country’s population who are against NATO’s priority in the foreign policy of that country has been ignored."
Moscow wonders how cynical one can be to "say unabashedly that there is no need in asking the people about such a decision, like Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic has recently done," the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.
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"Taking into account Montenegro’s potential, the North Atlantic Alliance is unlikely to have a considerable ‘added value,’" the ministry said. "But Moscow cannot but take into account strategic consequences of this step. That is why we reserve the right to take such decisions which are aimed at the protection of our interests and national security."
Earlier on Friday, Montenegro’s Skupstina, or parliament, on Friday voted for the country’s joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
As many as 46 out of 81 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill on confirming the North Atlantic Treaty and of a protocol to the Treaty on Greece’s and Turkey’s accession to the organization. The opposition, which has been boycotting parliament session in the recent months did not take part in the voting but held a protest rally outside the parliament building instead.