The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, announced yesterday that he would refrain from signing laws that would confirm the government’s agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which he previously labeled as illegal.

At a press conference held at the Chamber of Commerce, he mentioned that he has a constitutional deadline of seven days to decide on the matter.

“These proposals arrived through the standard procedure. My stance has been very clear and precise in the past, so I won’t reiterate it again. You will be kept updated in a timely manner. I am thorough and always review and analyze everything that reaches the President from the Parliament, and I will do the same this time,” he stated.

On Tuesday evening, following a discussion that extended over 12 hours, lawmakers ratified two agreements between the Montenegrin government and the UAE. The first, a less contentious agreement regarding economic cooperation, saw support from 50 MPs, with 10 opposing. The second, concerning tourism and real estate development— which includes the exemption from public procurement regulations for project implementation—was endorsed by 46 MPs, while 10 voted against and four abstained.

These documents were signed on March 28 in Dubai by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, who subsequently presented them to the Parliament as a bill.

Milatović emphasized again that the agreements undermine essential laws and could be in conflict with Montenegro’s European ambitions.

“You may have noticed the concerns shared by several EU parliamentarians regarding this agreement. It appears to me that there are persistent efforts to undermine our path toward Europe. Last year, they compromised themselves by passing the resolution on Jasenovac, and now, it seems that they are causing further harm. I leave it to you and the citizens to draw your own conclusions about who is obstructing our European progress,” he concluded.

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