Israel-Montenegro ties of friendship

Delegates from the tiny Balkan state tour the Holy Land in an official visit.

By CARRIE HART
A High-level delegation from Montenegro and its Israeli counterpart visit the Israel Museum. (photo credit: CARRIE HART)
A High-level delegation from Montenegro and its Israeli counterpart visit the Israel Museum.
(photo credit: CARRIE HART)
Montenegro is a small country tucked away within the Balkan states, between Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania, with a coast that runs along the Adriatic Sea.
Yet despite its size, Montenegro’s government has a big heart for Israel.
In times like these, when Israel faces delegitimization campaigns and there is a marked increase in anti-Semitism in Europe, it is nice to have new friends. As the nations blame Israel for the current failure in peace negotiations and the Jewish state is threatened with destruction by Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and an array of global jihadists, it is a welcome relief to know that a head of state wants to come to the land and shake the hands of Israeli leaders.
It is thus a pleasure for the Foreign Ministry to roll out the red carpet for those interested in developing deeper ties with the Jewish people in their homeland. And indeed, this is what recently happened when Montenegro’s Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Igor Luksic arrived on his fourth trip to Israel.
Luksic has served in Montenegro’s government since 2004.
He was only 34 years old when he served as prime minister from 2010-2012. At the time, he was considered the youngest prime minister in the world. Four years later, he still gives the impression of being a young person who thinks “outside the box.”
Accompanying him was the country’s newly appointed Ambassador to Israel (non-resident) Tamara Mugosa. This is the first time that Montenegro has sent an ambassador to Israel since the country declared independence in 2006.
During this official visit Montenegro’s delegation had the opportunity to pay their respects at Yad Vashem; see exhibits at the Israel Museum; watch a demo at a hitech company; and walk the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City. Luksic also met with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman; Justice Minister Tzipi Livni; Tourism Minister Uzi Landau; Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein; and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Ze’ev Elkin.
Says Luksic: “I just like being here... It is a historical place. It’s the holy land; it’s special. We somehow feel we belong here. In a special way we belong to this place, and this place belongs to us – that is the important connection.”
IT IS historical religious reasons that have drawn Luksic, who is Christian Orthodox, and others in his delegation to the Jewish state.
“In a way, our civilization also started here. I think we all feel attached to this part of the world. Therefore, one should definitely feel special when being here,” he notes.
But it is not only the Holy Land’s roots that have brought Luksic back to Jerusalem. His first visit was on the weekend of the Christian Orthodox Easter in 2008, when he was serving as Montenegro’s finance minister. He came back twice after that, still holding the same governmental position, participating in International Monetary Fund meetings hosted by Israel’s Finance Ministry.
Luksic sees the importance of economic cooperation with Israel. Moreover, on this current trip, he has learned from Israel’s success as a “Start-up Nation.”
“I think we [Montenegro] need to awaken that entrepreneurial approach,” he says. “I have seen that transition from socialist to market economy. Yes, we have ended it; Montenegro is a market economy. But it is also about values. Living in the world we live in, I think it takes more dynamism, which is not only about making profits in markets in this or that industry.
“It is also trying to innovate so that your society can really be based on the ground, which will produce prosperity and long-term sustainability, whichever concept we are talking about. That is what I think one can learn from Israel as well.”
The Israeli government is reaching out to various Balkan countries in the areas of agriculture, tourism, scientific research, education, cultural cooperation, health and business, and Luksic feels that exploring these different fields intensifies the unique relationship with Jewish state. This is the “soft power” so often spoken about among politicians and diplomats, the kind of connection that lends itself to closer ties – which can benefit both Israel and countries like Montenegro.
Luksic also talks about the tense political situation in the Middle East, especially with regard to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. “We have really been interested in developing relationships with as many countries as possible; friendly relationships. It is obviously not up to us to decide or argue this or that solution. What we are generally in favor of is dialogue between interested sides, interested parties; with that dialogue, if need be, supported by the international community.
“But basically, it is up to you here, who live and share this place, to decide what it should be like.”
THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER discussed his experiences growing up in a region full of troubles. Although he was quite young at the time, he remembers the early 1990s, living under the UN sanctions. Those were the days of hyperinflation.
“I remember my father was a sailor and didn’t sail for 10 to 15 years. He wanted to be with us; he wanted to see us grow every day,” he recounts. “All of a sudden, he had to leave and sail abroad because he had to earn some money to pay for my scholarships, tuition fees and so on, and for my sister later on.”
Luksic, and many young people from Montenegro, missed a great deal of the ’90s because of wars, sanctions, disputed territories and ethnic cleansing, with the 1999 NATO bombings that according to him were due to Kosovo. He claims that 15-16 out of the past 20 years have been abnormal times. It has only been since Montenegro’s independence that Luksic has seen changes that are good for the region. “We could now focus on European integration; we could focus on making our country more secure, NATO membership; we could focus on economic development.”
In 2006, Luksic explains, Montenegro managed to secure a peaceful referendum on independence thanks to the willingness of the country, supported by international community efforts, to come to terms with the rules of that referendum. Some people were happy, others were not, “but it was peaceful, and the next day, we tried to work it out so that everyone felt they belonged to the new Montenegro.”
Luksic’s advice to Israeli and Palestinian leaders? “The only recipe is to talk, talk, talk and only to talk. I see no other option, every other option is inferior. It has to be talking and it might seem endless, but that is the only way it can be.”
In his opinion, the international community and global organizations should provide the necessary backup to the process. “But it has to be the ownership of the two peoples who live here; I think that is the only way it can be.
Nobody can bring that solution from somewhere else, and say that’s it.”
CURRENTLY, MONTENEGRO is negotiating membership in the European Union. The government is in the process of succession talks, and will then be expected to harmonize its legislation and foreign policy position with that of the EU. Since it wants to be integrated, Montenegro is already following EU policy.
“When you are inside the EU, regardless of the concrete matter, being a small country you still have the possibility of voicing your ideas,” explains Luksic.
“But when there is a common position, you are expected to follow.”
Luksic thinks the compromise between EU nations is valuable. He sees a prosperous future for the body, because its purpose is to prevent war and preserve peace, and establish unity among all of its diverse member states. He also believes the EU will need to remain globally independent. “Trade, finance, global technology – the world is changing rapidly.”
As a candidate for Europe, Montenegro is now a part of the Horizon 2020 project. Israel was formally accepted into the prestigious program recently, and there will be plenty of opportunities for the two countries to cooperate with one another.
LUKSIC IS excited about the prospects of deeper ties with Israel. “I think that what lies ahead is closely related to the overwhelming sentiment that we who hold public office should awaken our countries. It is a sentiment of feeling positive and confident about what the future will bring.”
For Luksic, this means stimulating people from all the Balkan nations with the entrepreneurial spirit, not just those living in Montenegro. “This is what we should learn and understand and try to bring into our region.
There are other people with skills and talents that need to learn how to turn that into well-being.”
Meanwhile, Israel will continue to do business with developing countries like Montenegro, as other Balkan states are proving to be good economic and cultural partners for the Jewish state.
In the end, the dividends of this continuing partnership should pay off both politically and diplomatically. After all, Israel needs new friends for new global ventures.


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