After a meeting with Montenegrin PM Dritan Abazovic on Thursday, Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) said consent had been reached on a Fundamental Agreement between the government of Montenegro and the SPC.

He said the agreement was now subject to approval by the Holy Synod of the SPC and that a date of its signature would be set afterwards.

“Starting from the fact that the church is separated from the state and that our Church, wherever it has jurisdiction, absolutely respects every state and its laws,” Porfirije said.

He said work on the Fundamental Agreement was in its final stage.

Once everything is done, this will also help to normalise the relations between the state of Montenegro and the SPC, he said.