Vucic urged to skip Montenegro summit amid spy fears
Serbia’s Security and Information Agency (BIA) has issued an urgent warning advising President Aleksandar Vucic to cancel his high-stakes trip to Montenegro for an upcoming European Union summit, citing severe security threats from "foreign secret services" and organized crime.
The security alert adds a dramatic layer of tension ahead of Friday’s Western Balkan summit in the coastal town of Tivat. European heavyweight leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, are scheduled to attend to discuss EU membership progress for the region. Despite the BIA's stark warning of high-level risks, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic confirmed that Vucic still intends to fly out for the crucial meetings, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The diplomatic crisis boiled over after Montenegrin authorities abruptly blocked a plane arriving from Serbia carrying 87 men, turning them away at the Tivat airport under the grounds of being an active security threat to the summit. Local police also intercepted and seized two buses that had been waiting to transport the group.
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In a swift retaliatory move, Belgrade immediately clamped down on its border with Montenegro on Wednesday evening, implementing aggressive, strict border controls that triggered massive traffic backlogs.
Relations between the two neighbors have long been fragile. Montenegro, a NATO member that gained independence from Serbia in 2006, has consistently aligned its foreign policy with the EU—including sanctioning Russia and recognizing Kosovo's independence—moves that continue to deeply anger Belgrade.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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