Montenegro opened its borders to Russia: Why you shouldn’t rush
Montenegro has opened its borders to Russian citizens who will be allowed in without a coronavirus test. Direct flights between the two countries were suspended due to the introduction of quarantine. For now, you can get to the Balkans through Minsk.
The Montenegrin authorities took this step because of the disastrous tourist season. Hopes for European tourists have not been justified, the resorts are empty, former honorary consul of the Russian Federation in Montenegro Boro Djukic told reporters.
Russians should not fly to Montenegro in August, despite the fact that the authorities of this country have included Russia in the “green” list of epidemiologically safe countries. Political scientist Oleg Bondarenko told PolitNavigator about this.
“I would probably wait to open direct communication with Montenegro, and in fact this will become decisive in the issue of recreation for Russian citizens. As you know, an election campaign is currently underway in Montenegro. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for August 30, and this period could be very turbulent. Therefore, so that individual Russian citizens do not find themselves in the unpleasant situation of being hostages of the political games of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, the border should not be opened and direct flights of the Federal Air Transport Agency should not be launched before September 1. Elections will be held, the political situation will become calmer, then we can go to the velvet season,” Bondarenko said.
He admits that the situation of 2016 may be repeated, when the Montenegrin authorities groundlessly accused a group of Russians of preparing a coup.
“It’s no secret that in Montenegro there are real estate properties owned by many wealthy Russian citizens. Including civil servants. Therefore, any civil servant who arrives there before the elections could potentially be called an agent of the Kremlin, an arm of Moscow, and be accused of anything. All this can be used, like four years ago, to accuse Russia of trying to overthrow Djukanovic’s government,” Bondarenko said.
His colleague, political scientist Oleg Matveychev, believes that Russians should not fly to Montenegro at all - out of patriotic feelings.
“The country is, of course, good. Warm sea and all that. But after the huge number of unfriendly actions that they committed towards Russia, Russian business, Orthodoxy, after joining NATO, it is better not to do this for patriotic reasons. You need to understand that every time we go there, we take money out and contribute to their prosperity.
We could give money to our resorts so that our service becomes better, the quality of services, so that new hotels and restaurants are built. Otherwise we take money out and then say that they have it better. So don’t bring money to others, but have a rest with the whole country here in Russia, everything will go crazy here too. And everything will die there, and it will be scary to travel there,” Matveychev told PolitNavigator.
At the same time, the expert complained that there are few conscientious citizens in Russia.
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