Podgorica - The Montenegrin parliament on Wednesday night approved Milo Djukanovic's new government, local media reported. Out of 81 members of the parliament, 48 voted for and 22 were against the new cabinet, while three did not vote.
Djukanovic will now start serving his sixth term as Prime Minister, after his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) won a landslide victory in early parliamentary elections last March.
In his speech to the parliament earlier, Djukanovic said that membership in the European Union and NATO will be strategic goals of his government and that they will also finish the privatisation process and work on strengthening of government's institutions.
The opposition criticized Djukaovic's message, saying it did not contain a "crisis scenario" in case of recession which is expected to hit Montenegro in the autumn.
The new government will have three vice presidents and 17 ministers, most of whom will remain in their posts from the previous government.
The three vice presidents will be DPS vice president Svetozar Marovic, Igor Luksic who will also serve as Finance Minister, and Vujica Lazovic who will also be minister for informatics and society.
New ministers will be: Ferhat Dinosa, minister for minority rights; Ivan Brajovic, minister of internal affairs, Branko Vujovic, minister of the economy; and two ministers without portfolio - Slavoljub Stjepovic and Rafet Husovic.
Other ministers will keep their posts, including Milan Rocen as Foreign Minister; Miras Radovic, Justice Minister; and Boro Vucinic, Defence Minister.
