Milan Roćen

Milan Roćen (born 23 November 1950 in Žabljak, SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia) is Montenegrin politician who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Government of Montenegro and the last ambassador of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro to the Russian Federation (from 2004 to 2006).[1] He is currently active as political advisor of the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović.

Milan Roćen
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro
In office
10 November 2006 – 10 July 2012
Prime MinisterŽeljko Šturanović
Milo Đukanović
Igor Lukšić
Preceded byMiodrag Vlahović
Succeeded byNebojša Kaluđerović
Personal details
Born (1950-11-23) 23 November 1950
Žabljak, SR Montenegro, FPR Yugoslavia
NationalityMontenegrin
Political partyDemocratic Party of Socialists
Alma materUniversity of Belgrade
WebsiteGovernment webpage

Personal life

He graduated in journalism from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade.[1] He is married and has one son. Besides speaking his native Montenegrin, he also speaks Russian.[1]

Political career

From 1976 to 1979, following his degree in journalism, Milan Roćen was a journalist for the weekly magazine Ekonomska politika in Belgrade.

In 1979, he becomes staff member for the information and propaganda department of the presidency of the central committee of the League of Communists of Montenegro. In 1982, he became political chief of staff to the President of the same committee.

From November 2006 to July 2012, Milan Roćen was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro (Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro from December 2010).[1]

Roćen is one of the most influential members of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists, which has been in power in Montenegro since the introduction of multi-party system in 1990.

Controversy

According to an investigation supported by the Puffin Foundation Investigative Fund in 2008, The Nation reported that Roćen, then ambassador of the Serbia and Montenegro to the Russian Federation, authorized a contract with Davis Manafort Inc, a consulting firm founded by Rick Davis, and that the firm was paid several million dollars to help organize the 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum campaign. Referendum finance documents did not record any exchanges with Davis Manafort, although the claims of the payments were backed my multiple American diplomats and Montenegrin government officials on the condition of anonymity.[2]

In June 2019, an audio recording from the mid-2005 surfaced, that shows ambassador Roćen expresses concern over the EU pressure on the authorities of the Republic of Montenegro, asking Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, on behalf of then-Prime Minister of Montenegro Đukanović, to lobby for the Montenegrin independence referendum, through his connections with Canadian billionaire Peter Munk in the United States.[3]

References
  1. Biography Archived 2011-11-19 at the Wayback Machine, Montenegro's government official website
  2. Mark Ames, Ari Berman (October 1, 2008). "McCain's Kremlin Ties". The Nation. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  3. Molio Deripasku da lobira za referendum, Dan, 22 June 2019
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