PODGORICA, June 5 (Hina) - Montenegro's Foreign Minister Branko Lukovac on Tuesday denied reports published by some Croatian newspapers which alleged that the purpose of his recent visit to Zagreb was to obtain from Croatia's
President Stjepan Mesic a ban on further reporting by the Zagreb-based daily "Nacional" on the secret business ties between the Balkan tobacco mafia and the Montenegrin state leadership. The owner of the 'Nacional', Ivo Pukanic, was quoted by the Belgrade-based news agency 'Beta' on Monday as saying that Lukovac tried to obtain from Mesic the ban on the writing of that weekly about the links between "chiefs of the Balkan tobacco mafia and the Montenegrin state leadership." Minister Lukovac forwarded his statement to Hina, being prompted by false information about the objectives and contents of his recent visit to the Croatian capital and his meeting with Croatia'
PODGORICA, June 5 (Hina) - Montenegro's Foreign Minister Branko
Lukovac on Tuesday denied reports published by some Croatian
newspapers which alleged that the purpose of his recent visit to
Zagreb was to obtain from Croatia's President Stjepan Mesic a ban on
further reporting by the Zagreb-based daily "Nacional" on the
secret business ties between the Balkan tobacco mafia and the
Montenegrin state leadership.
The owner of the 'Nacional', Ivo Pukanic, was quoted by the
Belgrade-based news agency 'Beta' on Monday as saying that Lukovac
tried to obtain from Mesic the ban on the writing of that weekly
about the links between "chiefs of the Balkan tobacco mafia and the
Montenegrin state leadership."
Minister Lukovac forwarded his statement to Hina, being prompted by
false information about the objectives and contents of his recent
visit to the Croatian capital and his meeting with Croatia's head of
state Stjepan Mesic.
"My recent visit to Zagreb, on 31 May, was the result of the
invitation, which a month before the Atlantic Council of Croatia
and his president, Professor Radovan Vukadinovic, had forwarded to
me asking me to speak about the topics pertaining to Montenegro and
the security in southeastern Europe."
Upon my arrival, meetings were convened between (me) and Croatia's
President Stjepan Mesic and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula as well
as many other meetings, the Montenegrin minister wrote.
"Talks which were held on that occasion, referred to the
development in Montenegro and in the region as well as to the
cooperation between the two neighbouring countries," the
minister's statement read.
"Thus, reports of the 'Nacional' paper were not the reason for those
meetings, nor did I initiate it subsequently," it read.
"Therefore it is the incorrect information which was published or
cited by some media that the 'Nacional' reports were the cause and
the subject-matter of my recent visit to Zagreb or in particular of
the talks with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic," read Lukovac's
statement.
(hina) ms