The winner in all this, however, is the country’s leadership and the North Atlantic Alliance, which sees Montenegro’s inclusion as a psychological coup de force, Nikolic added.
On December 2, 2015 NATO invited the former Yugoslav republic to join the military alliance and the subject features high on the agenda of the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for October 16 as memories of the 1999 NATO bombings remain fresh in the memory of many Montenegrins.
“Many of our soldiers, civilians and children died then. Most of our people are against joining NATO because if this happens we would find ourselves bound by decisions we will no longer be able to refuse,” Nikolic said in an interview with Sputnik.
“Entering NATO would bring about a change in this country’s genetic code, its matrix,” Pavic insisted.
Matija Nikolic said that despite the wide-scale pro-NATO campaign being waged by the government, most of Montenegrins remain opposed to the idea of joining the North Atlantic Alliance. He also said that after it joined NATO Montenegro would be forced to be in confrontation with Russia, including militarily.
“This would be a hard test for Montenegro, which has always been a friend of Russia and considers Russia an old friend and defender,” he said, adding that he did not believe those who insist that being in NATO will ensure stability, investments and security.
“Meanwhile, we can see that [stability, investments and security] are exactly what many NATO countries have problems with, that’s why I don’t believe that [by joining NATO] Montenegro will be able to strengthen its security,” Nikolic continued.
To this Aleksandar Pavic added that NATO membership would only benefit the country’s leaders by further legitimizing them in the West and giving them additional perks.
“We should be ready for an influx of prostitutes who keep an eagle eye on NATO soldiers arriving in the country, and also for a spike in drug trade.”
As for NATO itself, Montenegro’s inclusion will be a psychological coup de force for Brussels, which will now be able to show everyone that its existence still makes sense and that all rumors about its death are “a bit exaggerated.”
This would also add strength to the pro-NATO forces in Serbia who will argue that, being encircled by NATO-members, the country had no choice other than to join in too.
“Anyway, any future war between NATO and Russia, would invite a retaliatory strike from Russia that would consider Montenegro as an enemy territory,” Aleksandar Pavic warned.
