DJUKANOVIC DENIED THE ACCUSATIONS FROM BARI:
UNGROUNDED CLAIMS INTENDED TO DISCREDIT MONTENEGRO

Podgorica – In an interview for the Italian TV network Mediaset, Montenegro's President Milo Djukanovic denied the accusations regarding his alleged collusion in the international smuggling of cigarettes. He said that such information represented a continuous destructive attack from the part of some Italian officials and media.
Djukanovic refuted the accusations of the Italian prosecutors as being ungrounded and arbitrary. He has also challenged the prosecutor from Bari (italy), Giuseppe Scelsi, to present any proof that might serve as a basis for legal responsibility of himself and his aids.
This latest accusation, as well as all the previous ones, was intended to discredit Montenegro, headed towards its economic and political prosperity – Djukanovic said.
He said that in Montenegro everything had been done in order to stop the smuggling of cigarettes between Italy and Montenegro. Furthermore, Montenegro "had performed an unusual act by allowing the Italian department of the Interpol to establish their office in Bar (Montenegro) in order to fight together the crime between the two countries` borders".

REACTIONS FROM PODGORICA ON THE ACCUSATIONS FROM BARI
ITALIAN AUTHORITIES REMAIN SILENT

Podgorica – Montenegro's Foreign Ministry (MIP) made an official request to Italian authorities demanding "full information" about the alleged probe into President Milo Djukanovic.
Officials from MIP stated that "the information about the action of the Prosecutor's office in Bari has come as a surprise".
Neither has Montenegro's Ministry of Justice received any formal communication from Italian magistrates concerning the investigation against Djukanovic. An aide to the Minister of Justice, Vesna Ratkovic, said to the press that she had been trying several times to reach the prosecutor Scelsi, but "there was no answer".
Montenegro's state prosecutor Bozidar Vukcevic also said that he had not received any criminal charges or any official information about the case.

MONTENEGRO'S REPRESENTATIVE IN ITALY LJUBISA PEROVIC:
NO CONFIRMATION ABOUT BRINGING CHARGES

Podgorica – Montenegro's representative in Italy Ljubisa Perovic said that Italian authorities had not officially confirmed the information about bringing charges against Montenegro's President Milo Djukanovic.
Perovic said that the information gained a huge publicity with Italian media, in a manner that "demonizes Montenegro and its President to an absolutely unacceptable extent".
In these recent years all the guilt has been laid against Montenegro in an incredibly exaggerated manner – Perovic said.

ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY:
ITALY APPRECIATES MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT'S POSITIVE ROLE

Podgorica – Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a yesterday's announcement that it had a good relationship with Montenegro and it appreciated the positive role of Montenegrin Government in trying to reform the Yugoslav federation – quote Podgorica media.
As for its relationship with Montenegro, Italy has always acted according to the diplomacy codes adopted within the European Union (EU), and it will continue to do so – the announcement says.

THE DPS VICE-PRESIDENT SVETOZAR MAROVIC:
WE NEED A STABLE GOVERNMENT

Podgorica – The most important thing for Montenegro in this moment is to have a stable Government, which would be open for everyone who wishes to help Montenegro's progress – said the vise-president of Montenegro's ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Svetozar Marovic, in his interview for Podgorica "Vijesti".
We need a stable, reform, pro-European, democratic Government that would act in the interest of its citizens – Marovic said.
The new Government will guarantee the implementation of the Belgrade Agreement, quickening of the reform processes and democratization, and it should be represented by efficient people, who would work on the realization of the program – Marovic said. He also mentioned that recent Government also had made some steps in that direction.