Special envoy and coordinator of the US State Department's Center for Global Engagement, James Rubin, said Monday in Podgorica that after talks with Montenegrin officials and party leaders, he was convinced that Montenegro won’t be close to Belgrade or Moscow. 

With the meetings in Podgorica, Rubin began his visit to countries in the region where, as previously announced by the State Department, he will discuss the fight against Russian disinformation.

He also told reporters in Podgorica that he believes that the fight against disinformation will be a priority of the new Montenegrin government.

"If Russian disinformation dominates the space here, it will be difficult to make progress. What I have heard from the leaders here, and what has encouraged me, is that they will be focused on us and on the European Union," said Rubin.

He emphasized that there are a number of media outlets in Montenegro that spread disinformation from Russia and China and that the government should urgently deal with this problem.

“For example, Russia and China repeat that there are biological weapons factories in Ukraine, even though it has been proven that this is not true, or that somehow the United States wanted this war, which is also nonsense," he said.