Serbian Orthodox Church, Russia’s political instrument in the Balkans

The President of the Atlantic Alliance, Savo Kentera, claims that the political situation in Montenegro has never been more complicated, given that, as he says, no one wants to go on elections, because the election results would be just a repetition of the one from the last year. According to him the solutions should be found in several other frameworks and what Montenegro needs is a civilian, pro-Western government.

Regarding the visit of the Russian Ambassador to Belgrade, Bocan-Harchenko, to the General Staff of the Serbian Army just a few kilometers from the border with Kosovo, at a moment of tension over there, Kentera says that Russia will use every opportunity, not only in Kosovo but anywhere else in the region, to show that they ‘care’ about the region and don’t want to leave it to the West. Therefore, he thinks that ambassador’s visit to the border with Kosovo is just one of the manifestations of Russia’s political involvement in the region.

“Russia will do everything to show that Montenegro as a member of NATO and as a democratic country can be destabilized, that chaos can be triggered, and to show that even NATO, with all its values, is not as good and ideal as it claims. Furthermore, Montenegrin example can be replicated in another country” he said, adding that anyone who thinks Russia will give up, or has given up on the region, is mistaken.

Asked about what Russia’s influence on media in Montenegro, Kentera points out that there are medias that absolutely do not hesitate in promoting Russian interests. “As it is, let’s say, the Info.rs or Borba portal, but there are many others that are secret and that do all these things in a much more deceptive way.”

He stresses that the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church was reflected in the time of the adoption of the law on religion, which, according to him, was then used by the Serbian Orthodox Church to initiate mass liturgies in Montenegro.

“Everything has been done and designed in Russia, and unfortunately Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church have served as an instrument for implementing the Russian policy in the Balkans,” said Atlantic Alliance President, Savo Kentera.