- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Excited About Membership? NATO Flag in Montenegro Set on Fire in Protest

© REUTERS / Jonathan ErnstMontenegro's Foreign Minister Igor Luksic (at table, 2nd R) delivers remarks with Defense Minister Milica Pejanovic (3rd R) after Montenegro was welcomed as a new member at the NATO ministerial meetings at the NATO headquarters in Brussels December 2, 2015
Montenegro's Foreign Minister Igor Luksic (at table, 2nd R) delivers remarks with Defense Minister Milica Pejanovic (3rd R) after Montenegro was welcomed as a new member at the NATO ministerial meetings at the NATO headquarters in Brussels December 2, 2015 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
On December 2, NATO invited Montenegro to start accession talks on alliance membership, to become the 29th member of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Montenegrin police officers are engulfed in smoke and flames as opposition supporters hurled torches on them during a protest in front of the Parliament building in Podgorica, Montenegro Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015. Police fired tear gas at opposition supporters who hurled fire bombs and torches to demand the resignation Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's government which hopes to steer the Balkan country toward NATO membership later this year - Sputnik International
NATO's Political Games Drag Montenegro Into Alliance Despite Popular Will
Immediately after that NATO flag was erected next to the flags of Montenegro and the EU, near the entrance to the city of Cetinje. Just five days later the NATO flag was set on fire.

This act is not surprising because the idea of accession to NATO does not have a lot of support among common people, wrote Aleksandar Milacic for Sputnik Serbia.

Even before the invitation by the alliance, citizens of Montenegro have expressed their opinion regarding the accession by holding protests in Podgorica, so last night's event could have been anticipated. For many residents the flag still evokes memories of the bombs, air-raid sirens, sleeping in shelters, and innocent civilian casualties from the small city of Murina, Milacic wrote.

It should also be noted that the NATO flag was put up instead of the traditional Orthodox flag. This gesture, judging by the comments on social networks spurred anger amongst the people who viewed this as a brazen attack on the history and tradition of Montenegro.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала