FCO presence
283. Montenegro makes no use of the Federal Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, which it regards as having no legitimacy.
Instead it has begun to establish its own diplomatic network,
and has a representative in London. We were told that there had
been an increasing interest from other states in establishing
missions in Podgorica rather than operating through Belgrade.
These missions had a variety of namestrade, information
or liaison offices, for example. There is no permanent British
representation in Montenegro. The British Council has taken on
the running of British Government programmes, for example civil
service training, and the director of the British Council Office
is British honorary consul. We were impressed by his commitment,
as well as that of the FCO officials who visit Montenegro frequently.
But this does not amount to the sort of presence which will allow
the FCO to have a full understanding of developments in Montenegro,
where the link with the United Kingdom is regarded as particularly
important. We wish to see the FCO adopt an imaginative solution
which will allow the establishment of a British representative
office in Podgorica.
284. During our visit to the British Council
in Podgorica we met a number of students who told us how difficult
it was to obtain British visas. These could not be issued except
in Belgrade through the Brazilian Embassy.[700]
By contrast, Schengen country visas are issued by the Italian
Consulate in Podgorica. We recommend that visas to visit the
United Kingdom should be issued in Podgorica.
Conclusion
285. The government of Montenegro needs all the
political and financial assistance it can get in order to remain
a force for the good within Yugoslavia. Montenegro is small, and
it will cost very little in absolute terms to assist it. Doing
so could help to avert another crisis in the Western Balkans and
show the people of Serbia the benefits of adopting European norms.
We can be proud of what the United Kingdom has done so far, but
our recommendations on Montenegro are intended to give the House
another opportunity to stiffen the resolve of western opinion
formers in support of democratic Montenegro.
618 This claim is, however, contested by the United
Kingdom and most other states. Back
619
QC485. Back
620
Ev. p. 112. Back
621
QC82. Back
622
Ev. p. 113. Back
623
Ev. p. 245. Back
624
QQB124, 250, 277. Back
625
QQB184, 279. Back
626
QB8. Back
627
Ev. p. 179. Back
628
Ev. p. 114. Back
629
Ev. p. 175. Back
630
QC208. Back
631
Le Monde diplomatique, June 1992. Back
632
QC491. Back
633
QC82. Back
634
Ev. pp. 113-114. Back
635
QC485. Back
636
Interview with Milosevic appearing in Politika (Belgrade)
31 December 1999 (reported in Free B92 News). Back
637
Ev. p. 174. Back
638
Ev. p. 247. Back
639
Ev. p. 113. Back
640
Ev. pp. 172 and 174. Back
641
See paras 263-269. Back
642
Ev. p. 175. Back
643
Ev. p. 276. Back
644
QC279. Back
645
Lisbon Report. Back
646
QC112. Back
647
QC263. Back
648
QC205. Back
649
Ev. p. 114. Back
650
QQC485, 488. Back
651
QB285. Back
652
QQC85, 491. Back
653
Ev. p. 113. Back
654
Ev. p. 242. Back
655
QB279. Back
656
QC487. Back
657
QB124. Back
658
QC207. Back
659
QC211. Back
660
Ev. p. 113. Back
661
QQB184, 252; QC88. Back
662
QQB284-5. Back
663
See paras 126-144. Back
664
QC485. Back
665
Financial Times, 26 January 2000. Back
666
QC271. Back
667
QQC287-8. Back
668
Ev. pp. 245, 275. Back
669
Ev. pp. 80-81. Back
670
Ev. p. 175. Back
671
Ev. p. 114. Back
672
QQB249, 280. Back
673
QC210. Back
674
QQC211, 288-9. Back
675
Ev. p. 176. Back
676
QQC89, 482, 484. Back
677
QC485. Back
678
These figures do not include funds provided by EU Member States
under their bilateral aid programmes. Ev. p. 205. Back
679
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/montenegro/eu_contribution.htm. Back
680
QQC90, 490. Back
681
QQC482-3. Back
682
ie. the G7, including the United Kingdom. Back
683
QQC482, 484. Back
684
QC273. Back
685
QC281. Back
686
Ev. p. 115. Back
687
QC289. Back
688
QQC489-90. Back
689
Lisbon Report Back
690
Para 52 of SN100/00. Back
691
Financial Times, 8 May 2000; HC Deb 15 May 2000, col 44W. Back
692
QB278. Back
693
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/montenegro/eu_contribution.htm. Back
694
QC90; HC Deb 11 April 2000, col 114W. Back
695
QB184. Back
696
QB250. Back
697
QC282. Back
698
QC483. Back
699
The report of the Stability Pact Funding Conference records that
"Regarding Montenegro, for which insufficient information
is currently available, it has been decided to propose, in addition
to a water project, two transport projects, one as a quick-start
and the other as a near-term, the content of which is as yet unspecified
but could include some of the following tentative rehabilitation
elements: port of Bar (breakwater, _12 M, quays, _4M), Bar-Podgorica-Kosovo
border road (first tranche, _20M), Bijela floating dock (_10M),
and railway locomotives, diesel mobile units and passenger carriages
(_5M)." Report available on www.stabilitypact.org/Cross%20Table%20Issues/index.htm. Back
700
Brazil is the United Kingdom's protecting power in Yugoslavia. Back