A representative of the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented on Friday Serbian Ambassador in Podgorica Zoran Lutovac with a letter of protest.

The letter voiced the Montenegrin government's disapproval at Serbia's interference in the legal proceedings which the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) is taking against Montenegro before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Montenegro's representative before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in a case regarding a pleading of the Diocese of Budim and Niksic and other SPC organizational units against Montenegro informed the Montenegrin government about a relevant document that the Serbian government submitted to the Strasbourg Court on September 23.

After a consideration of that information, Montenegro decided that Serbia's move represents interference in the international court proceedings. State Secretary for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EU Integration Nebojsa Kaludjerovic hence summoned Serbian Ambassador to Montenegro Zoran Lutovac and presented him with a protest letter, the release reads.

As stated, the Montenegrin government is confident that Serbia's move is contrary to the fundamental principles of good neighborly relations and that some elements of the Serbian government submission before the European Court of Human rights dated September 23 represent directl interference with the internal affairs of the sovereign state of Montenegro.

Commenting on the issue, Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said during his meeting in Belgrade with Prime Minister of Montenegro Igor Luksic that Serbia in fact received a request from the Court to participate in the process as amicus curiae.

It was not a unilateral move by Serbia in any way whatsoever, as it has received the request from the court and it will give a positive response to it, Cvetkovic said, adding that church issues are not something that should be dealt with by the two state administrations.