Montenegro Bars Entry to 87 Serbian Nationals Ahead of Summit

Montenegrin police and the National Security Agency said on Thursday they had barred 87 Serbian nationals from entering Montenegro and returned them to Serbia a day before the EU-Western Balkans Summit opens in the coastal town of Tivat.

The authorities said the decision followed security and border checks carried out at Tivat Airport.

“Following the conducted procedure and the measures and actions undertaken, the Police Directorate issued a decision in accordance with the Law on Foreigners, prohibiting entry into Montenegro for 87 male persons, after which they were returned to the Republic of Serbia on the same flight,” the statement said. The authorities added that they would also move to impose entry and residence bans on these persons for a period.

Police said the group arrived in Montenegro on a charter flight from Belgrade that was singled out for inspection as part of intensified security measures ahead of the summit.

Earlier on Wednesday, police said they were conducting checks on around 90 Serbian nationals who had arrived on the charter flight. Authorities said passengers were undergoing checks as well as verification of the reasons for their arrival in Montenegro.

“The aircraft has been held on the runway at Tivat Airport while detailed checks are carried out on the passengers and the reasons for their visit, given the heightened security measures ahead of the EU-Western Balkans Summit,” the Police Directorate said in an earlier statement.

The Serbian government has yet to react over the incident.

Police said those detained at the airport were carrying a banner that read “Srbija pobedjuje” (“Serbia Wins”), which is associated with supporters of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, SNS. In recent months, it has been used as a response to the “Studenti pobedjuju” (“Students Win”) banners displayed by supporters of the student-led anti-government protests that have been taking place since November 2024.

The detained Serbs were also carrying a long-range communication device and a marine radio station, the police and security agency statement said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic boycotted the last EU–Western Balkans Summit held in Brussels in December. However, in May he announced that he would attend the summit in Tivat following discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “After my conversation with Ursula von der Leyen, I decided to attend the summit in Tivat,” Vucic said on May 20.

Senior European and regional officials are expected to attend the meeting.