A Serbian controversial historian of the new generation, Milivoj Bešlin, in an interview with the weekend edition of Dnevne Novine, a daily, noted that as long as Serbia aspires to Montenegro hoping to “free the Serbian sea” and rejects Montenegrin statehood and sovereignty, the Podgorica Assembly will be glorified as the desirable and historical model for relations with Montenegro.
He said: “Serbia celebrates and will celebrate the Podgorica Assembly as the role model, and will desire the Podgorica-assembly scenario to repeat, while the democratic Serbia will have to re-examine that “apple of discord” in the relations with Montenegro.”
Bešlin also stressed Montenegro has to defend its civic and anti-fascist character and thus persist with the current direction despite the negative trends from Europe.
When asked about the message Montenegro should have in mind based on the 1918 events, Bešlin suggested Montenegro to remember that in those times it might have ceased to exist and became a province when compared with its neighboring country.
“In terms of identity, I don’t see that a lot has changed in Montenegro as there’s no any well designed state strategy. A state must have identity-cohesive factors, which are to make it a united community,” emphasized Bešlin.
