The Committee on International Relations and Emigrants did not approve the amendment proposed by independent MP Jevrosima Pejović to the Bill on Ratifying the Agreement with the United Arab Emirates.

The amendment received a single vote in favor, while seven MPs chose to abstain.

Pejović’s amendment aimed to ensure that projects arising from this agreement are not classified as being in the public interest. This agreement focuses on collaboration in tourism and real estate development.

She stressed the importance of the amendment she proposed.

“The fact that we are having this discussion well past midnight with inadequate emotions shows that shouldering the responsibility for the outcomes is not easy,” she stated.

Pejović added that both citizens and some members of the ruling majority recognize the potential dangers involved, noting that this might lead to criminal liability.

“If you require a bit more time to consider your decision, remember that decisions made in this assembly after midnight rarely yield results we can take pride in,” she emphasized.

She highlighted her concern that the voices of local community colleagues are being ignored.

Pejović remarked, “This kind of behavior, this aggressive push to expedite the law’s passage, sends a completely different message.”

Committee President Duško Stijepović interrupted Pejović, to which she commented that this reflected poorly on his upbringing.

Voting undermines Montenegro’s status as an ecological state

Civic Movement URA MP Ana Novaković Đurović expressed her intention to let Pejović speak for two minutes, but Stijepović insisted he had no authority to grant this. She then read excerpts from the Declaration on Ecological Montenegro.

“All MPs supporting this agreement will violate Montenegro’s constitutional designation as an ecological state,” Novaković Đurović declared.

She also pointed out that public hearings are mandatory for all projects according to the Aarhus Convention.

The Minister of Public Works, Majda Adžović, asserted that the amendments are not open to interpretation, while Pejović warned that everyone would face the repercussions of their decisions, emphasizing that past experiences show that every decision has differing consequences.

“You will be accountable for your actions and the choices you make. This decision can be altered. Thankfully, we have the Vienna Convention to rely on. Justice is attainable, regardless of who prevails,” she affirmed.

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