Montenegro is heading the same way as Belarus. Not enough is being done to avoid disaster - by Steven Kay

As the situation in Belarus continues to deteriorate, Europe may soon have another electoral crisis at its periphery. In Montenegro, decades of the same man’s rule and widespread discontent is likely soon to be the for electoral fraud. The tiny Western Balkan nation – currently waiting for EU membership to be besto

The West must brace for the expected if they are to prevent another Belarus. With Lukashenko, the strategy of waiting to see how things played out has gone awry. Weak statements immediately following the results allowed the former collective farm manager to believe his position was tenable. It emboldened him to crush opposition, rather than resign himself to the logic of the situation. His contempt for his people – who allegedly voted for him in vast numbers – was chilling. As he dressed himself in combat gear and gave instructions to his police to shoot, the exposure of the depth of his electoral fraud was complete.

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EU and Russia vie for influence in volatile Balkans region - by Dusan Stojanovic

For years, Russia has worked to gain influence in Southeast Europe, using Serbia as a foothold to establish a friendly pocket on a hostile continent.

The European Union finally is pushing back. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is embarking on a seven-nation Balkans tour Sunday to promote the EU's new eastward expansion strategy.

Russia mainly wants to discourage the Western Balkan countries — Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia — from joining NATO. But Moscow also is trying to deter them from joining the EU.

The EU sees the prospect of membership as an incentive for reform in the volatile Balkans region, which was torn apart by war in the 1990s. Its expansion strategy puts Serbia and Montenegro in position to join should the bloc open its doors to more members, tentatively by 2025.

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Read more: EU and Russia vie for influence in volatile Balkans region | The Fresno Bee

Montenegro: NATO-Russia tension looms over Montenegro vote

Montenegro's ruling party faces a tough test in national elections, hoping its promise to bring the country into NATO and closer to the European Union will outweigh opposition allegations of corruption.

Milo Djukanovic, the prime minister, has presented Sunday's vote as a choice between continuing Western integration under his Democratic Party of Socialists or being reduced to a "Russian colony" under the opposition.

But the opposition say his regular accusations that they are funded by Russia are false and a smokescreen to cover for the culture of cronyism and organised crime that they say he has allowed to flourish over his quarter-century of dominance.

NATO invited the tiny Balkan country of 620,000 to join last year, partly out of concern at Russian influence in Montenegro, which has strong cultural and commercial links to its traditional Orthodox Christian ally.

A lack of reliable polls makes the election hard to call, but long-term allies have deserted Djukanovic, suggesting that the message from opposition parties may have traction.

The former Yugoslav republic's economy has grown at a brisk 3.2 percent a year for the past decade, thanks mainly to foreign investment, much of it from Russia as well as China and Italy, targeting energy, mining and tourism in a country famed for its spectacular mountains and sea coast.

At an opposition rally in the capital Podgorica on Saturday, hundreds of backers of the Democratic Front (DF), an alliance of pro-Serb and pro-Western parties, waved Serb, Russian and Montenegrin flags, chanting their campaign slogan "Us or Him".

"Djukanovic, step down peacefully on Sunday if you love Montenegro," said Nebojsa Medojevic, a pro-Western politician and one of the DF's leaders.

Polling stations close at 18:00 GMT, with first partial results expected an hour later.

Read more: NATO-Russia tension looms over Montenegro vote - News from Al Jazeera

Montenegro: 3.1% Economic Growth Predicted in Montenegro

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is forecasting that the Montenegrin economy will grow at the rate of 3.1% in 2011. This is an improvement from an earlier 2.5% forecast made in October.

3.1% is the second strongest economic growth expected in the region, exceeded only by Macedonia’s forecasted growth of 3.2%.  The Serbian economy is predicted to grow by 3.0%, followed by Bosnia-Herzegovina at 2.2%, Croatia at 2%, and Slovenia at 1.7%.

The report, Regional Economic Prospects in EBRD Countries of Operations: January 2011, states that Montenegro has managed to weather the worst of the recent crisis and that Montenegro’s recent elevation to EU candidate status may boost investor confidence.
Read more: Daily News Montenegro: Daily News from Montenegro

Sofia Echo: Serbian, Macedonian and Montenegrin citizens gain visa-free access to Europe - Foreign - The Sofia Echo

The move has been hailed as a big step in the future of European Union integration. European Union rules have been altered, allowing Serbs, Macedonians and Montenegrins visa-free access to all 25 Schengen member states, as well as three states outside the European Union; Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. 'This is a very important day for Serbian citizens,' Serbian president Boris Tadic was quoted as saying by international media. 'We have to remind ourselves that 20 years ago we did not need visas and today we are returning back to that.'"

Chicago Tribune: Traveling to Montenegro: The small country is meaty beneath the surface - by Rick Steves

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Traveling to Montenegro: The small country is meaty beneath the surface - by Rick Steves

There's a buzz among travelers that humble little Montenegro is becoming a new Mediterranean hot spot. Once part of Yugoslavia and then part of Serbia-Montenegro, this tiny mountainous nation on the Adriatic achieved independence only recently, in 2006. Most tourists stick to Montenegro's scenic and increasingly glitzy Bay of Kotor. It's certainly worth a visit, but for a "back door" experience, head deep into the rugged interior of Montenegro.

Bloomberg: Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia Win EU Visa-Free Travel - by James Neuger

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Montenegro, Macedonia Win EU Visa-Free Travel - by James Neuger

The European Union proposed visa- free travel for citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and the Republic of Macedonia, extending some benefits of its common market to the Balkans. Citizens of the three will be able to enter most of the EU without visas once EU governments give approval. Passport holders from three neighboring Balkan countries -- Bosnia- Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo -- will still need visas. “We know how much visa-free travel means to the people of the western Balkans,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told a Brussels press conference today. “European integration is not only a matter of integrating nations, but also peoples and citizens.”

The move gives a fillip to EU entry hopes of Balkan countries, which have been stunted as the EU grapples with the economic crisis. Serbia, the largest ex-Yugoslav republic, has had its bid for closer ties blocked by the Netherlands, while Greece is barring the way for Macedonia.

The Montenegro times: 86% of high school students back EU bid

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86% of high school students back EU bid

Almost 86% of graduating high school students in Montenegro support the country’s attempt to gain full membership in the European Union (EU) according to a poll conducted by students of the Faculty for State and European Studies (FDES) in Podgorica.
A total of 902 students from 20 high schools, 15% of enrolees, were polled in the random sample. Pupils from Bar’s High Economic School demonstrated the greatest knowledge of all Montenegrin high schoolers regarding Euro-Atlantic integration by responding correctly on 68% of questions asked in a test that was conducted simultaneously with the poll. Five schools failed the test by scoring less than 50%.

novinite.com: EU Eases Visa Requirements on 3 Balkan Countries

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EU Eases Visa Requirements on 3 Balkan Countries

The European Union signed on Friday an agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro on visa facilitation, making it easier for the citizens of the three western Balkan countries to acquire EU visas.

Macedonia, which has completed talks, and Serbia, who is in the final stages of negotiation, are expected to sign similar agreements in the near future.