UK Prime Minister Theresa May encourages the European Union to cooperate closely with western Balkan countries for effective confrontation with «misinformation campaigns» from Russia, giving as an example the probable takeover attempt in Montenegro, BBC reports.

Delivering a speech at EU leaders meeting in Brussels, May warned that the increasing instability in the region endangers the collective security of the European Union.

«In light of the probable attempts to stage a coup in Montenegro, I encourage all of us to do more for confrontation with Russian misinformation campaigns, which destabilize situation and make our interest in cooperation with this region more obvious», the British Prime Minister told.   

In late February, Montegro’s Special Prosecutor Milivoe Katnic accused intelligence agencies of the involvement in organization of the probable attempted coup in Montenegro. Moscow denied charges once again, calling them unfounded.

As per the version of Montenegrin authorities, on October 16, when the parliamentary elections were held in the country, some group of conspirators planned to conduct a whole series of armed attacks. Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic should have become the main victim.

One of the opposition parties, which would seize power and change the foreign policy course, which would abandon NATO entry plans and set a course for rapprochement with Moscow, should have used the chaos, arising from such actions.

The Montenegrin authorities announced about the prevention of attempted coup and apprehension of 20 Serbia’s citizens, involved in it, when several hours were left until the closure of voting stations.

In November, Special Prosecutor of Montenegro Milivoe Katnic promulgated new details of investigation and, for the first time, officially told about the Russian trace in this case.    

Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitri Peskov called these statements “absurd and unreasonable”.

Delivering speech in Brussels, May also informed that Britain intends to build closer ties with the countries of this region, and will host the West Balkans Summit in the next year. The cooperation in the sphere of security with Balkan countries will concern particularly the fight against corruption and cyberattacks.