Garčević Comments on Divisions in Montenegro
Ambassador Vesko Garčević, Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was asked to provide insight for a Balkan Insight article on the anniversary of Montenegro’s independence – May 21 – exploring the deep divides that remain in the country.
The article, titled “Deeply Divided Montenegro Marks 15 Years of Independence,” featured comments from four prominent figures – including Garčević – on Montenegro’s achievements in the 15 years since it regained independence. Garčević – former Montenegrin ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) – said he’d hoped his country would be closer to membership in the European Union at this point, but that prospect seems further off now than ever. In addition, he remarked on the deep polarization and the rise of nationalism in Montenegro.
An excerpt:
The divisions in Montenegro did not arise with the referendum, but today they are deeper than in 2006. Our divisions are the product of different views of Montenegrin identity, which give rise to different attitudes towards values, especially civic values and the understanding of Montenegro’s place in modern Europe.
The full article can be read on Balkan Insight‘s website.
During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Vesko Garčević dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been a Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as a Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School. Learn more about Ambassador Garčević on his faculty profile.