Montenegro forms new government including pro-European, pro-Serb parties

BELGRADE, Serbia

Montenegro's parliament on Tuesday approved a new government after nearly five months of post-election negotiations.

Economist Milojko Spajic from the Europe Now Movement will lead the new government consisting 18 ministers and five deputy prime ministers.

Spajic, 36, former finance minister and ex-Goldman Sachs banker, becomes the youngest prime minister for a coalition of pro-European, pro-Serb and Albanian minority parties.

The main goal of the new government is to lead Montenegro and its 620,000 population in its bid to join the EU.

"Our four main foreign policy priorities are full membership in the EU, active, credible membership in NATO, improvement of good relations with neighbors and strengthening the country's role in multilateral organizations," Spajic said at a ceremony in parliament.

He said economic policies would aim to improve the living standards of Montenegro's population of only 620,000, and include reforms enabling more fiscal revenues and investment as well as a better business climate and judiciary.

Spajic completed his duty to form a government seven days before the deadline given to him.

The new Cabinet, presented to the 81-seat parliament, was accepted with 46 votes.

Nineteen MPs voted against the new Cabinet, while one abstained.

Before the vote for the new Cabinet, the parliament elected Andrija Mandic, a Montenegrin Serb, as the new parliament speaker by majority vote.

The new position of Mandic, who is known for his stance against Montenegro's NATO membership and the recognition of Kosovo's independence, was protested in front of the parliament building.

Montenegro held early general elections on June 11 and Spajic was tasked on Aug. 10 with forming a government.