Montenegro: Metropolitan Joanikije met German diplomats to discuss Church-State relations

Metropolitan Joanikije of Montenegro and the Littoral met with German diplomats on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at the headquarters of the Metropolis in Cetinje Monastery, Montenegro.

The meeting was attended by Natalie Kauther, Director responsible for the Western Balkans, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Arctic Policy, and the Council of Europe at the German Federal Foreign Office, and German Ambassador to Montenegro Edgar Alfred Gansen.

Discussions focused on the position of the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, Church-State relations, the country’s European integration process, and developments in the wider region.

The German diplomats sought information about the conditions under which the Church operates in Montenegro, as well as the Metropolitan’s views on the country’s prospects for European integration.

Metropolitan Joanikije spoke about the difficulties the Church had faced from the period following the Second World War until recent years.

He maintained that religious life experienced a significant revival following the collapse of the communist regime, while noting that relations between Church and State began to be regulated institutionally in 2020, following…