Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević met with the permanent representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Montenegro, Ekaterina Paniklova.
Paniklova and Gorčević exchanged opinions on further directions of cooperation between the Government of Montenegro and UNDP in the field of meeting the requirements of the EU accession process and the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
Minister Gorčević pointed out that UNDP is recognized as a very important partner of the Government of Montenegro in the implementation of extensive reforms on the way to the EU.
“A large number of successfully implemented joint projects and valuable expert support from our UNDP partners over the past two decades, both in the field of European integration and in the area of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, have contributed to the democratic and overall development of Montenegrin society”. We are glad that in the coming period, we can also count on that support and work together to improve the quality of life of our citizens by the highest European and international standards,” said the minister.
She congratulated UNDP for organizing a series of events as part of the Conversation on Gender Equality held as part of the “16 days of activism against gender-based violence” campaign, which, she said, will represent a special contribution to marking the 80th anniversary of the women’s movement in Montenegro.
The permanent representative of UNDP, Ekaterina Paniklova, said that the accession of Montenegro to the EU was from the very beginning a strong driver for the fulfillment of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, bearing in mind the complementarity of these two processes.
“In Montenegro, the synergy between the EU integration process and the implementation of Agenda 2030 creates a clear and common goal: encouraging sustainable development and improving the quality of life for everyone, without exception. UNDP’s mission is to help Montenegro on that path, and that is why we will continue to provide expert support to the Government of Montenegro in the creation and implementation of key policies that will ensure inclusive, gender-responsible, green economic development, as well as key reforms in the field of public administration and of the digital transformation process”, said Paniklova.
Referring to the series of events and discussions on gender equality initiated by UNDP, she reminded that work on the improvement of women’s rights is a development issue, and the achievement of gender equality is a comprehensive and universal goal within the process of EU accession and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
