BELGRADE - In Podgorica, in front of the Montenegrin government building, a protest was underway on Friday after an agreement was announced aiming to regulate relations between the state of Montenegro and the Serb Orthodox Church, which is very popular in the small Balkan country.
The protests claim that this agreement confirms the close dependence of Montenegro on Serbia, with the loss of its autonomy and national identity.
About a third of the population of Montenegro is ethnically a Serb.
The announcement of the agreement was given during recent visit to Belgrade by the new Montenegrin prime minister, Dritan Abazovic, who in addition to Serbian politicians met with Serbian Orthodox patriarch Porfirije.
The Montenegrin government was scheduled on Friday to discuss the agreement, against which there have been multiple protests in recent days including one on Thursday evening.
