Montenegro needs to harmonize its position with the European Union (EU) on its bilateral immunity agreement, which it signed with the United States and which is contrary to European principles, the EU spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy Peter Stano has told Radio Free Europe.
He has added that this is a condition for the temporary closure of the negotiation Chapter 31, which refers to foreign, security and defense policy.
The Montenegrin Government is working to repeal the 2007 Article 98 of the Rome Statute, which exempts US citizens from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
It obliges Montenegro not to extradite to that court US citizens who could be charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Stano has stated that the bilateral immunity agreement is contrary to the EU Common Position on the integrity of the Rome Statute, and thus to the EU’s guiding principles on bilateral immunity agreements.
