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| Montenegrin Foreign Ministry headquarters |
The Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday that has declared a diplomat of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Podgorica an undesirable person.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the ambassador of the Russian Federation has been handed an official note on this decision, stating that within 72 hours the diplomat must leave the territory of Montenegro.
"The reason for this decision is the assessment of the relevant security bodies in Montenegro for the activities of the Russian diplomat, which are contrary to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," reads the announcement of the Montenegrin Foreign Ministry.
Montenegro immediately backed EU sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro has announced that "due to a war that is taking place in Europe, we must act with maximum responsibility and in the interest of the country".
Senior Montenegrin officials have also criticized Russia's actions, which they say undermine European security and stability.
Meanwhile, the country's airspace has been closed to all Russian aircraft by decision of the Civil Aviation Agency and on the proposal of the Ministry of Capital Investments, Montenegrin media report.
With this decision, Montenegro joined the European Union member states, which closed the airspace on February 27 for Russian planes, in response to the military attack on Ukraine.
On the other hand, the pro-Russian party, the Democratic Front, and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro, criticized the reaction of Western countries and senior Montenegrin officials to the events in Ukraine, calling them as the 'puppets of The West."
Meanwhile, Serbian nationalists in Montenegro staged protests in support of Russia with Russian and Serbian iconography and anti-Ukrainian slogans.
Montenegro has been the political target of Serbia and Russia in recent years, who staged a coup attempt in the 2016 parliamentary elections.