Democratic Party vice president Jelena Trivan said on Dec. 21 that Montenegro's new leadership needed to recognize the importance of good ties with Serbia and focus on the region's European inclusion.

Trivan told BETA that relations between the two countries over the past several years had seen their ups and downs, but that, in spite of the occasional rough patch, cooperation had ultimately grown.

She also declined to comment on Djukanovic's possible motives for resigning, or speculate on personnel changes in Montenegro, stressing that this was a question of internal political decisions.

Socialist Party of Serbia official Branko Ruzic said that it "is important to turn to the future and the further democratization of Montenegrin society and the cultivation of European values in the region. This action definitely is a good precondition for something like that to happen," Ruzic told BETA.

Serbian Radical Party vice president Dragan Todorovic said that Djukanovic's resignation would not affect the region and that time would show whether Montenegro's ex-premier would "enjoy a peaceful retirement." Todorovic told BETA that, "To stay in power for as long as possible, Djukanovic inflicted untold damage on the Serb people and Serbia and Montenegro" and that "the U.S. finally rejected him in the end."

Liberal Democratic Party leader Cedomir Jovanovic said that Djukanovic had played a huge role in the Europeanization of Montenegro, had helped calm the situation and establish firm regional cooperation and that "Montenegro has achieved huge success owing to Djukanovic's vision and his ability to implement his vision."