Montenegro’s Ambassador to Washington, Mr Nebojša Kaluđerović, addressed the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Đorđe Radulović, in an open letter, reacting to his views from the press conference.
-Key moments from the letter-
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Dear Minister Đorđe,
Although I had plenty of reasons to react over the last few months, I had decided to leave it for some other time, after I finish my professional diplomatic career and return to the country. Today’s statement of yours, reported by the print and electronic media, leaves no other choice than to point out to you the following:
First, as for my “involvement in the story of Ms Mirna Nikčević“, I’d like to draw your attention to a careful reading of the statement that I, along with the two of my esteemed colleagues, Ambassadors Perović and Vlahović, in my personal capacity, gave on that occasion. At the same time, I’d like to draw your attention to the fact that our former colleague Mirna was not convicted of hate speech, which is a formulation used by certain members of the government coalition whose minister you are.
I was, as you said, “disciplinary liable for that case”. However, as you also know very well, it’s a court case now, and once the court announces a verdict, we’ll discuss the matter.
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Second, I consider it immoral to mention the name of my dear colleague, Ambassador Perović, in any context when both you and I know very well that his life is hangs in the balance. Bidding on his health condition in public and your attempts to get political points by noting that the Government is “humane” because, well, it doesn’t force a man lying on a sickbed to come for consultations, are things that, dear Minister, we simply do not do. It just doesn’t go like that. At least not among decent and civilized people. With or without diplomatic etiquette, it doesn’t matter.
Third, I don’t know where you get the idea that I’m going to retire. On January 31, I’ll end my career as a professional diplomat, or a “political appointee”, whatever you like to call it, which I can only be proud of. And what I’m going to do next – it’s up to me to decide.
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Fourth, your interpretation of the Vienna Convention, if I understood it correctly, I simply do not want to comment because I cannot believe that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro and a member of an expert government, whatever I or somebody else think about it, could blurt out, pardon me, say something like that.
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Best regards from Washington,”
Ambassador Nebojša Kaluđerović
