During his first official visit to Athens, on March 11 and 12, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, Dr. Filip Ivanović, offered an exclusive interview to Hellas Journal.
The head of diplomacy of the next candidate for accession to the European Union Balkan country and member state of NATO, had an extensive and cordial conversation with the correspondent of Hellas Journal in Oslo, and his old friend, Panagiotis Pavlos.
In the detailed discussion he had with him, Minister Ivanović pointed out the fervent support the Greek Government and his counterpart Mr. Georgios Gerapetritis provide to the top priority of Montenegro’s foreign policy, its accession to the EU. He referred to the recent Forum of Foreign Ministers in Antalya, Turkey, and his meeting with the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Fidan, while at the same time he called on Greece to strengthen its presence in the Balkan peninsula in various ways.
Dr. Ivanović made an impressive exhortation to young Greeks to be proud of their unique heritage. The fervor with which he speaks about Hellenism, Greek civilization, art and culture, and the Greek spirit in general, is evident as he reveals his personal relationship with Greece and Athens, being himself an eminent researcher of Greek philosophy with a large internationally recognized philosophical work and a unique contribution to the spread of Greek Paideia in his country.
Montenegro’s MFA emphasized the role that Balkan states such as Montenegro expect Greece to play in the region as the cradle of democracy and culture and as a guarantor of European unity and integration. He did not fail to expand on the possibilities and strategies for further deepening bilateral relations between Montenegro and Greece in several areas of cooperation, inter alia, the education of university students and Armed Forces executives, research exchange, cultural and scientific diplomacy, opportunities in the investment sector.
Finally, he pointed out the urgent need for a dynamic return of international diplomacy at a time of major disturbances in the international scene, at the center of which is the war in Ukraine and Gaza.
Hellas Journal: Your Excellency, MFA of Montenegro Dr. Ivanović, dear Filip! It is such a pleasure to have you here, in your first official visit to Athens after assuming your duties as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro. We hope that you had a fruitful visit with productive meetings and communications with the Greek Government.
MFA Ivanović: I must say that I am very happy to be here in Athens. It is, as you have said, my first official visit to Greece since I became Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro. I am very pleased by the hospitality and the wholehearted greetings that I received here in Athens. On the first day of my visit, I spoke with the vice-president of the Parliament, as well as with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. I also used this opportunity to laid wreath in the tomb of Vasos Mavrovouniotis, as the Greeks know him, or Vaso Brajović, as the Montenegrins know him. He was a very prominent military figure of the 19th century in Greece, who was of Montenegrian origin, so it is just one of the very important historical figures that tie our two countries and our two peoples.
I am very happy with the meetings I had today, I have received quite a friendly welcome by all the officials. What is very important is the willingness of Greece to deepen the friendly and good relations that Montenegro and Greece have. Equally of great importance is that Greece fully supports the primary foreign priority goal of Montenegro, which is to become the first next member of the European Union. I was reassured by my interlocutors today that Greece is going to give its full support, both political and technical, to this goal.
HJ: How do you evaluate the attitude, the disposition of the Greek government towards a Minister of Foreign Affairs of a Balkan state country? In the sense that, you come here, you meet with the Government and at the same time, while you expectedly have certain topics and issues in the agenda, you offer them insights of how the Balkan states look upon Greece, and perhaps of what they expect from her. Was that a dimension in your discussions?
MFA Ivanović: Well, what I have said to my friends and interlocutors today, is that when it comes to chief Foreign Policy Goal, not just of Montenegro but also of other Balkan states which are joining the European Union, is to remind the pivotal role of Greece in this process that was marked by the 2003 Thessaloniki Summit, where there was promise for EU enlargement, especially for the countries of Balkans. Now we are twenty-one years later. So, this promise still needs to be fulfilled. I also conveyed to my interlocutors here in Athens that I expect Greece to take the leading role again, and to be a very vocal advocate of enlargement of the EU to all the other countries, but especially to those countries that are in the South-East European region. Greece has historical ties not just to Montenegro but also to other countries of this region. Greece knows very well what the advantages and, sometimes, the problems of the region are, and I believe Greece can be the best promoter of the European integration of the region. It will be extremely useful, I would say, for Greece’s foreign policy, for Montenegro’s foreign policy, for the region, but also for the EU.
HJ: You have assumed your duties as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro almost four months ago, yet in a period of unprecedented turbulences, both on the large picture but also regionally, such as the case is, for instance, with Ukraine and the Middle East; we are really experiencing tough times. So how does this geopolitical theater challenge countries such as Montenegro, which although not in the size of, say, Germany or France, yet demonstrate an increasing degree of integration in the Western institutions and certainly, they move to fully participate in the EU and, broadly, the international arena?
MFA Ivanović: As you know, Montenegro has been a NATO member for seven years. It is also the front-runner in the EU integration process. We believe that we can complete the process of negotiations within the next few years, and become, as I have said, the first next member of the EU. Indeed, the geopolitical situation is not very easy. We are facing crises in different parts of the world that are very difficult, that are challenging the very existence and concept of diplomacy and international order; and Montenegro has maintained a very clear position. This position is to uphold the international peace and stability and the respect for international law. In this regard, we have fully supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine; we have been, and we will continue to be fully aligned with the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, including sanctions against Russia in this conflict with Ukraine.
Of course, we must not forget the crisis in Gaza that has been unraveling before our eyes in the past few months. Here as well, Montenegro has kept a very balanced and principled position – it has condemned in strongest possible terms the terrorist attack of the 7th of October by Hamas; but it has also called constantly Israel to keep its response and its right to defend against terrorism within the boundaries of the International Law and the International Humanitarian Law. What we are advocating now is at least a humanitarian pause that would lead to complete ceasefire. We also believe that the two states solution is the best one for this conflict, that both Israel and Palestine have the right to have their own sovereign states living next to each other and that both need to be guaranteed safety. In our view, this is the only permanent solution of this crisis. This is what we are advocating in all multinational and multilateral fora.
On the other hand, the crisis and the Russian aggression in Ukraine has opened a new way of thinking in the EU. As you know, the process of enlargement of the EU has been quite technical in the past years, if not decade, and now it is crystal clear that the safety and prosperity of the European continent can be best achieved through its unity; and its unity can be best achieved through the membership in the EU. Therefore, I would say that now the way of thinking has changed; the process of enlargement is now perhaps more political, or, at least, in the same degree political as well as technical. Without doubt, Montenegro is on the way to use this window opportunity and, as I said, finish the whole process on its part by the end of the mandate of this government and become the first next member of the EU.
HJ: Recently, you participated in a rather big event, the Antalya Forum of Diplomacy that was organized and hosted by the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs. There you had the chance to meet and discuss with your colleagues from many other countries but also with the host, the MFA of Turkey, Hakan Fidan. As you probably are aware, Greece has since December in 2023 embarked on a rapprochement process with Turke. This was sealed by the Declaration of Athens, in the beginning of last December, despite fundamental challenges and problems in the bilateral relations of the two countries, chiefly due to the revisionist character of Greece’s neighbour. Could you briefly tell us what did you get out of that meeting? And, if I may push a bit the question further: How does Montenegro regard Turkey’s role in the Balkans?
MFA Ivanović: Indeed, I participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, and I must say it was a very big event and well organized. There I had the opportunity to meet with several colleagues, especially with those ones that us from Balkans, or from Europe, do not get a chance to meet very frequently. I mean mainly our colleagues and friends from Asia, Africa and Latin America. It was very interesting and useful to meet with a diverse group of politicians and colleagues and see where we can work together and improve our relations. I also met, as you have said, with the Türkiye’s Foreign Affairs Minister Fidan, it was our second meeting in the past couple of months. This meeting was very cordial, and I thanked him for the invitation and the organization of the forum, while we discussed certain issues of bilateral cooperation between Montenegro and the Turkish country. I must state that the relations between our two countries are good, and they are marked by good connectivity, by a number of Turkish investments in Montenegro, and by, I would say, very live political dialogue.
I am very aware and understand the relationship between Greece and Türkiye, and I can only say that where there are challenges and problems that is where diplomacy needs to step in. I would welcome and greet all the efforts between the two countries that have as their goal and as their result easing of the relationship between them and bettering the relations between the countries and between the peoples, based of course on mutual respect and respect of each other’s sovereignty. On the other hand, Montenegro and Türkiye and Greece, all three of them, are NATO allies. Greece is member of the EU, we are, as I said, frontrunner in the process of EU integration. Türkiye is also a candidate country for the EU, so I am sure that, as in all kinds of relationships there are things that perhaps separate us and things that we look at differently, so are also things that bind us and can bring us closer. Therefore, it would be very useful to work on those things that bring countries and peoples closer.
Türkiye is a very active actor in the Balkan region, not just in Montenegro, but also in other countries. I welcome its activity and its role in the Balkans. But I also very much welcome a more active role of Greece in the region. This is yet another thing that I conveyed to my interlocutors, that we are looking forward to a more active role and more visible presence of Greece in the region. Not only in terms of European integration, i.e., Greece’s support of EU integration, but also in terms of bilateral cooperation between Greece and the countries of Balkans.
HJ: Speaking of the relation between Montenegro and Greece in the perspective of joining common institutions such as the EU, one could remark that in the common consciousness of most of the Greek people, in the common perception at least of those who have a certain age, Montenegro is associated at large with the Serbian nation and people. How valid is this perception today? How would onemost accurately identify the modern state of Montenegro, the foreign policy of which you are leading, and what are Montenegro’s and its people’s aspirations today?
MFA Ivanović: During the history the destinies of individuals, of peoples and countries, have been very much intertwined. Many of today’s countries in the Balkans, including Montenegro and Serbia, have shared the same historical destiny throughout different eras. As you know, Montenegro and Serbia formed a state union that lived for almost ninety years, and of course, it is very natural that there are historical, cultural, and even familial ties between them. A third of the population in Montenegro considers itself to be Serbs. We have some forty five percent of people who identify themselves as Montenegrins, and we also have Bosniak, Albanian and Croatian population in Montenegro. But what is very important is that Montenegro is constitutionally defined as a secular and civic state, a state of citizens, not state of nations or ethnicities, and Montenegro is a country in which every individual citizen has the right to cherish and profess his or her own identity without bearing any kind of negative consequences, or repercussions. When it comes to the foreign policy, what is also very important now is that eighty percent of Montenegrin citizens – and that means Montenegrin citizens of all ethnicities and of all religions – are very pro-European and would like to see Montenegro as the next member of the EU. So, what we are doing is that we are pursuing a foreign policy that is a foreign policy of Montenegro as a unified civic country and that can be for the benefit of every single citizen regardless of his ethnicity, religion, or any other aspect of identity.
HJ: I would like to come now to a more personal level, since we also have a friendship that goes quite back in time and even a colleague relation connecting us in the field of philosophy. It is certain that much of the Greek people have no idea that you, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, are not only a great friend of Greece in theory, a real philhellene, but also – and I wouldn’t fear to name it so – in praxis, both as a prolific scholar of ancient Greek and late antique philosophy, and one of the eminent experts in the study of Dionysius the Areopagite and its legacy. Please, could you tell us a bit about your relationship with Greece, its beginnings and how it evolved?
MFA Ivanović: Thank you for your question! It is always good to get back to my academic and scholarly origins. Indeed, by education I have a PhD in Philosophy and Religious Studies, and my field of expertise is Ancient Greek and Late Antique philosophy, as well as Byzantine philosophy. These are the topics and areas of philosophy that I was very much interested in since the very beginning of my studies in philosophy. Of course, the interest in those areas have naturally brought me to appreciate and to investigate even more Greek history, culture, and civilization. During my academic carrier I have had an opportunity and chance to visit many places in Greece; not just to visit but also to stay in Athens twice for a longer period, and to get to know the Greek people, the Athenian life. It is a very vibrant culture and society, and I must say that this very deep personal relationship to Greece that I have, would be best defined by one word. That word is ‘love’.
HJ: That’s fantastic! And, since love is the key word here, what would be the message that you would convey to the newer generation of Greeks today that, one could say, might not fully grasp the significance of Hellenism, and the awareness about it and the Greek spirit in general? What would be the advice both of a scholar who has spent years in studying Greek culture, philosophy and literature, and of a friend of Greece who is the Head of the Foreign Policy of a state of the Balkans that aspires to the contributions of Hellenism in the region?
MFA Ivanović: If I say that Greece and Greek culture is the cradle of the western civilization, I wouldn’t say anything new. But sometimes even the known and old things need to be repeated, in order to be remembered. If there are so many people outside Greece, not just in Europe but in other continents as well, in the Americas, Asia, Africa, that admire and love Greek history, civilization, culture, philosophy, art and so on, then people in Greece, especially the young generations should be very proud of their inheritance. This inheritance is not just about ancient Greek culture and civilization; it is not just about the Byzantine culture and civilization. It is also about modern Greece. It is about struggle for Freedom, for Liberty, for the values of Democracy, and this is something that should be cherished by every Greek young person. This is something they should be proud of and, as I said, if people outside of Greece are proud of it, then people within Greece should be even more proud of the legacy of their ancestors.
HJ: Coming now to something that perhaps few people know: we often speak of institutes, of friends’ culture, of Chinese culture – there are many hundreds of ‘Confucius’ Institutes all over the world – and one would expect Greece to have its own chain of cultural Institutions all around the globe. However, that is unfortunately not the case. But you again, several years ago, you established an initiative which I would call it rather unique. I mean the Center for Hellenic Studies in Podgorica, which, if I am not wrong, was established in 2015. Could you tell us a bit about that?
MFA Ivanović: The Center for Hellenic Studies was established in 2015 as a non-profit organization in Montenegro and it was a result of enthusiasm of a few colleagues of mine and myself, who are all in Montenegro, but are academically working on issues of Greek culture. Some of them have studied and spent research in Greece and have an in-depth knowledge of Greek culture and civilization. We thought that it is very important that we, like many other western countries and western research centres, establish an institution that is going to be fully dedicated to the study of Hellenic culture and civilization, from its ancient roots to the contemporary times. And we have founded the Center for Hellenic Studies in Podgorica.
We have launched an academic journal called ‘Akropolis: Journal of Hellenic Studies’. This journal is now in its seventh year. It is, I would dare to say, a very good and prominent international journal. It is, for example, in the Scopus list of the academic journals, which is one of the prestigious lists of academic journals. We have also launched the International Conference of Hellenic Studies that was first held in Montenegro, in 2019. Unfortunately, the plan was to continue with the annual conference in different places in Montenegro, but the covid pandemic and some other crises have struck us, so the conference was postponed. But what we are also hoping is that we will renew the work of the Center and the work of the Conference. The whole point is to cherish, promote and investigate the relationship between the Hellenic culture, the Western civilization, and, of course, Montenegro is one of the particular places in Europe that has special ties with Greece.
I would also like to encourage my Greek friends to do their part and promote their own culture and civilization around the world through different means. One of the very effective means of doing that is by establishing and supporting Centres of Hellenic Studies throughout the world. We are of course not the only one, not the only Center for Hellenic Studies; there are many centres like that in the US, the UK, across Europe and even in Japan. So, this is a very good opportunity for cultural diplomacy, for scientific diplomacy, apart from pure basic academic research and interest.
HJ: Did you have the chance during your meetings at this visit to also raise issues on bilateral cooperation between Montenegro and Greece, precisely on this level of culture, of Paideia, research, and scientific collaboration? Or is it something that still there is room to work on soon?
MFA Ivanović: There are many areas in which Greece and Montenegro can collaborate even further. One of the good examples is the education of our cadets on military academies in Greece. This cooperation has been very fruitful and many young soldiers and officers from Montenegro have completed their studies in Greece. We have discussed, during my visit, the opportunities for increasing the number of scholarships that Greece is offering to Montenegrin students from both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, at Universities across Greece. We also discussed the possibilities of greater and stronger connection between Montenegrin and Greek universities and research institutions, because we think that working on mutual projects, exchange of academic staff, exchange of students, are some of the best opportunities to strengthen the ties between the two countries. I hope that, soon we will also have some bilateral agreements in place in the areas of culture, education, and research. Thus, we agreed that we should work harder on this together in the near future.
HJ: And the last question, dear Minister. What is your vision as the head of Montenegro’s foreign affairs policy, and how would you like to see it be incarnated?
MFA Ivanović: The government which I am a member of has laid down four main Foreign Policy Goals that we want to pursue. Number one Foreign Policy goal is Montenegro’s membership to the EU. The second FP goal is continued active and credible membership to NATO. Number three is good neighbourly relations and cherishing regional cooperation. And number four, which is a long-term goal, is about a more active and visible role of Montenegro in multilateral organizations, especially the UN. These are the FP goals to which we as the government, and especially us the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are fully dedicated and working hard on achieving them.
When it comes to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, what I have promised and what the government has promised is renewal of our diplomatic network abroad; the focus on younger diplomats; the possibilities of offering different kinds of trainings through cooperation with different diplomatic academies and international institutions, more oriented towards practice, such as the Programs with the UNDP and similar organizations, field visits, etc.
We also want to include more – and what we are currently working on – is the bigger focus on cultural and scientific diplomacy, because we believe that these are the best ways that a rather small country can achieve bigger visibility on the international scene. So, we have actually now founded a Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy, within which we will have a bigger focus on cultural and scientific diplomacy.
In addition, we want to encompass all these ideas by a bigger focus on digital diplomacy, because we believe that in the twenty-first century combining contemporary information and communications technology with diplomacy can be a winning formula for Montenegro.
HJ: Your Excellency, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, Dr. Ivanović, dearest Filip, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this profound conversation and I cordially wish you all success in the rest of your trip here, in Athens, and your duties further. It was a great pleasure, and I am deeply grateful for the time you dedicated to this meeting and discussion.
MFA Ivanović: Thank you so much. It was my great pleasure first of all to see you, and then to have the honour to answer the questions you gave me.
PGP: All the best!
MFA Ivanović: Thank you.
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