Russia calls for Montenegro referendum over NATO accession

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia has urged Montenegro to hold a referendum on joining NATO, arguing that less the half of its population backed joining the military alliance, BBC News reports.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova spoke of "deep divisions" in the Balkan country over the issue. Protesters joined a rally on Saturday after NATO invited Montenegro to join.

The invitation comes 16 years after the Western alliance bombed Montenegro during the Kosovo war, when it was still allied with Serbia.

It is Nato's first expansion into eastern Europe since Albania and Croatia joined in 2009. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg described the decision as "historic".

Accession talks are expected to take about a year to complete.

But Russia has strongly warned against the move.

Ms Zakharova pointed to a "deep split" in Montenegrin society. "We are talking about an internal political crisis accompanied by popular protests," she said.

"It is the people of Montenegro that should make their voice heard in a nationwide referendum on the issue. It would be a manifestation of democracy that we have heard so much about."

Russia has previously said Montenegro's accession would result in "retaliatory actions", although it did not specify what these could be.