Montenegro needs its own Orthodox church, says president Montenegro needs its own Orthodox church to cement its identity and ward off Serb nationalism, President Milo Djukanovic tells AFP. Djukanovic, who has run Montenegrin politics for nearly 30 years, speaks as the small Adriatic nation is roiled by protests over the status of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) inside its borders. The SPC is still the main religious body in Montenegro, but Djukanovic is calling for the creation of an autonomous branch of the church inside his country. He also dismisses criticism of his long stay in power and welcomes positive signs from the EU when it comes to enlargement in the Western Balkans. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES