In an open letter to the Croatian public, a group of Montenegrin intellectuals have distanced themselves from the resolution on Jasenovac, adopted by the Montenegrin parliament in late June, saying the deputies who supported the document are not the voice of Montenegro but of Serbia and Russia.

The Montenegrin parliament resolution strongly condemns the genocide in the WWII Croatia concentration camp of Jasenovac and in the concentration camps Mauthausen and Dachau. EU member Croatia has responded strongly to it, warning that the move could jeopardise Montenegro’s journey to the EU and declared three pro-Serbian Montenegrin politicians personae non gratae.

“Dear neighbours, please do not condemn an entire country over actions by individuals, all the measures you may decide on should target those individuals, who are trying to undermine our friendship, and not the people and country and their future,” reads the letter, signed by around 100 Montenegrin intellectuals.

“Those who sponsored and voted for the resolution are not the voice of Montenegro but of the power centres in Serbia and Russia and they have only one goal – to cause instability and conflicts in the Balkans and turn brothers against one another,” the letter says.

The Montenegrin intellectuals say they do not believe the resolution reflects the true feelings of most Montenegrins towards Croatia and its citizens.

“On behalf of Montenegro, we express our sincere apologies for the misunderstandings or insults that the adoption of the resolution might have resulted in… the Montenegrin people remember and will continue to remember your each gesture of support and brotherly readiness to help us join the EU, and we will never forget that,” the letter reads.

The Jasenovac resolution, sponsored by the leader of the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian right, Andrija Mandic, was supported by 41 deputies in Montenegro’s 81-seat parliament.

The document was a response to the Montenegrin government’s support for the UN resolution on Srebrenica, adopted earlier this year.

Croatia on Thursday declared Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandic, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Becic and right-wing pro-Serbian politician Milan Knezevic personae non gratae.