Former Montenegrin European Affairs Minister Jovana Marovic posted on the X (formerly Twitter) that she was denied entry to Serbia “for the sake of protection of the security of the Republic of Serbia and its citizens.”

“Thank you, (Serbian President) Aleksandar Vucic for making me a heroine,” Marovic posted on X.

The opposition Green-Left Front said Jovana Marovic has been the subject of tabloid writing in Serbia because of her publicly expressed views and participation in the Serbia Against Violence protests, and that this is also the reason why she has been refused entry to Serbia.

The movement added that she was traveling to Serbia to take part in a panel debate at the Terrestrial Forum 2023 conference taking place in the town of Pozega, and called on the international community to react.

Jovana Marovic was the Montenegrin European Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Dritan Abazovic. She resigned from all positions at end of November last year.

Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic said that, if countries want good neighborly relations, they have to abandon the practice of banning entry due to different political opinions.

“I just spoke with Jovana Marovic. She is well and has arrived in Montenegro. I am surprised that she was banned from entering Serbia, especially considering her long-standing engagement in the civil sector both in the country and in the region. I am sure that Jovana is not a security threat. Denial of entry due to different political opinion is a practice that we must abandon if we want to build good neighborly relations. In the context of its European future, the region should strive for open borders for citizens even when they are critical of the authorities and policies,” Milatovic wrote on X.