His Beatitude the Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro, Mr. Mihailo, together with associates and members of the Supreme Council of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, yesterday received at the Episcopal Palace in Cetinje Ms. Caroline Tissot, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Montenegro, and Ms. Anjet Lanting, UN Human Rights Adviser in Montenegro. The visit is part of a round of discussions with religious leaders in the country to hear different views on the state of development, human rights and social cohesion in society.

Ms. Tissot, as the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General, leads the work of nineteen United Nations agencies, funds and programmes operating in Montenegro, while Ms. Lanting, advisor from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), monitors the state of human rights and fundamental freedoms in our country.

The guests were interested in the state of development and human rights in Montenegro — a topic directly linked to the third strategic pillar of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework with the Government of Montenegro for the period 2023–2027, dedicated to social cohesion, the rule of law, and human rights. In parallel, the Framework also encompasses the pillar of inclusive economic development and environmental protection, as well as the pillar of human capital development, reducing vulnerability, and social inclusion.

His Beatitude acquainted the guests with the historical foundations of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which has continued the continuity of ecclesiastical life on the territory of historical Praevalitana, Duklja and Zeta from apostolic times to the present day. It was emphasized that the MOC is the autochthonous, autocephalous, and canonical successor of the historic Montenegrin Orthodox Church, abolished by an uncanonical occupying decree on 14 July 1920, and that the Montenegrin people and their Church, over centuries and together, have built the freedom, independence, and spiritual identity of the State of Montenegro.

During the conversation, it was conveyed to the guests that the situation in Montenegro is very difficult, and the position of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church extremely unfavourable. Unlike the Serbian Orthodox Church, no Fundamental Agreement of equivalent content has been concluded with the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, as has been the case with other religious communities, although the constitutional principle of equality of religious communities enshrined in Article 14, paragraph 2 of the Constitution of Montenegro does not permit such an unequal relationship. Within the State, in contravention of the Constitution and the law, an artificial distinction is drawn between so-called “traditional” churches and other religious communities, despite the fact that the positive legal order of Montenegro recognises no such category.

Attention was also drawn to the unequal access to resources, contrary to Protocol No. 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which prescribes a general prohibition of discrimination. This concerns non-transparent and discriminatory use of discretionary powers in the allocation of budgetary funds and land parcels — at both the State and local levels, as well as by public enterprises — in favour of the Serbian Orthodox Church, to the detriment of the MOC and other religious communities.

Court proceedings in which the Montenegrin Orthodox Church defends its legal and constitutional rights are unjustifiably delayed for years and have not been concluded even at first instance, which prevents the Church from exercising its rights before an international court until domestic proceedings are completed. Particular attention was drawn to the media closure towards the activities of the MOC — the Church’s statements and reactions are largely not published, and an identical pattern is observed among media that self-identify as pro-Montenegrin, which, instead of granting equal access, approach ecclesiastical matters in a partisan manner. The legal remedies available to the Church are extremely slow and ineffective.

It was particularly emphasised during the conversation that the principle of legality is essential not only from the perspective of the Church and respect for canons, but also for the realisation of human rights in general. Should the State fail to demonstrate the readiness to resolve the Montenegrin Orthodox question within Montenegro, for the benefit of all, and within the institutions of the system — in a constitutional and lawful manner — space and argumentation would be opened for this question to begin to be resolved in the streets, and for irregular groups to misuse the justified dissatisfaction and frustration of Montenegrins. Precisely for this reason, the Montenegrin Orthodox Church consistently insists on resolution through institutional mechanisms, in the spirit of the rule of law and the constitutional order.

His Beatitude expressed gratitude that the representatives of the United Nations carefully recorded all the issues raised and demonstrated openness to accept the written documents and factual materials handed to them by the Montenegrin Orthodox Church. The guests stated that, precisely in order to gain as objective a picture as possible of the actual state of affairs, they had decided to visit most of the registered religious communities in Montenegro, so as to obtain a balanced overview.

Cetinje,

16 April 2026

Public Relations Office