The future Law on Foreign Affairs will set to four years the mandate of Montenegrin ambassadors and other diplomats abroad

Shortly before the holding of the 21 May Referendum on the country’s independence, the Montenegrin Government, on its session of April 6, 2006, adopted the Action Plan for Functioning of the Republic of Montenegro as an Independent State which, among other things, set as a priority the drafting of a Law on Foreign Affairs to regulate the conduct of Montenegro’s foreign affairs.

Likely to be adopted by the year end or no later than during the first trimester 2010, the so-called Law on Foreign Affairs should in particular set to four years the mandate of Montenegrin ambassadors and other diplomats abroad. The aim of this future formal regulation — which is already an internal rule based on a “flexible” principle of three-year term, established by Foreign Minister Mr. Milan Roćen within the Ministry — is to allow a faster turnover of Montenegro’s diplomatic staff in order to ensure a large number of its members with an experience abroad.

Additionally, the framework Law should implement the obligation for diplomats in foreign posts, once back in Montenegro, to participate at least two years in the education of young diplomats within the Ministry, period only after which they would be able to qualify again for representing Montenegro’s interests abroad.

In the coming months, the internal rule of the “three-year mandate” will affect several of the oldest country’s representatives abroad, accredited soon after the proclamation of Montenegro’s independence on June 3rd, 2006, namely:
• H.E. Mr. Nebojša Kaluđerović, GCDO, Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations (August 2009);
• H.E. Mr. Ramiz Bašić, Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (November 2009);
• H.E. Mrs. Slavica Milačić, Ambassador, Head of Mission to the European Union (November 2009);
• H.E. Mr. Darko Uskoković, Ambassador to Italy (December 2009);
• H.E. Mr. Duško Laličević, Ambassador to FYR Macedonia (December 2009);
• H.E. Mr. Miodrag Vlahović, Ambassador to the USA (December 2009);
• H.E. Mr. Antun Sbutega, GCDO, Ambassador to the Holy See, (January 2010);
• H.E. Mrs. Milica Pejanović-Đurišić, Ambassador to France (March 2010)...

However, current internal rules within the Montenegrin Foreign Ministry give discretion to an ambassador or to embassy officials to remain longer in the diplomatic service abroad, but still recently Foreign Minister Roćen has recalled that exceptions to the general rule will be rare.