“Our goal is to provide measurable, stable and sustainable results in all areas, especially in the field of the rule of law. Political will and stability are the guarantee that we implement the necessary reforms in a high-quality manner and in the shortest possible time. With 100% compliance with the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, the use of the euro, 80% public support for EU membership, the absence of open disputes with neighbors and with the status of favorites in the accession negotiations, we clearly express our determination for Montenegro to be the next member of the EU,” she said. is Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević.
Today in Brussels, she participated in the meeting of the EU General Affairs Council, which was organized by the permanent representation of Hungary to the EU, within the framework of that country’s presidency of the EU Council.
Minister Gorčević said that obtaining the IBAR was a turning point in the accession negotiations with the EU, not only for Montenegro, but also for the entire Western Balkans region, and expressed her belief that Montenegro’s success will have a positive effect on other candidate countries.
“Our intentions were clear already in the first 100 days of the Government mandate, when we dealt with the most sensitive issues in the field of justice, which represented the main stumbling block on Montenegro’s European path for almost a decade. Securing a two-thirds majority in parliament for the highest judicial appointments was a turning point and a obvious signal that Montenegro is committed to doing everything necessary to speed up negotiations with the EU, and the adoption of 12 systemic laws and 4 strategies confirmed that improving the state of the rule of law is , our priority”, said the minister.
Gorčević emphasized that, after receiving the IBAR, the competent institutions continue to work on all areas that are part of negotiation chapters 23 and 24, in accordance with the legal acquis of the EU and the best European standards and practices.
For the first time in the discussion at the General Affairs Council (GAC), in addition to the 27 EU member states, the representatives of four candidate states for EU membership: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia participated as equal participants, which confirmed the unequivocal the EU’s commitment to support the reform efforts of these candidate countries and preparations for their future EU membership.
At the meeting, opinions were exchanged on the Rule of Law Report for 2024
“We have representatives from Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia who will participate in the second part of the discussion, which will be devoted to trends in the area of the rule of law. I want to emphasize that the candidate countries will participate in the discussion equally, which means that we will discuss with them, not about them. I hope that we will support them in their reforms and accession process”, said the Minister of European Affairs of Hungary, Janos Boka, at the beginning of the meeting.