Final year high-school students from Berane visited Podgorica earlier today for an Info Day event hosted by NATO Membership Council’s Communications Team.
The Info Day started off by a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, where the students learned about the work of the Ministry, EU negotiation process, and NATO integration of Montenegro.
The Ministry’s Secretary-General Predrag Stamatović informed the students about the internal organisation and work of the Ministry. Mr Stamatović presented the role of directorates general for multilateral and bilateral affairs, economic diplomacy, European affairs, NATO, and consular affairs. He also spoke about the diplomatic and consular network and its importance for Montenegrin citizens abroad. He noted the importance of educating young people and future diplomats and in that context he mentioned the Gavro Vuković School for Young Diplomats.
State Secretary for European Integration and Chief Negotiator Aleksandar Andrija Pejović spoke to the students about the importance of European integration for young people. He underlined that the EU integration process affects all citizens and that in addition to state institutions this process involves NGOs and citizens. He invited the young people to participate actively in the EU integration process, as the changes it brings will affect them directly. He reiterated Montenegro’s reform efforts and mentioned some of the changes that have taken place and may already be felt by citizens. In that regard, he underlined the growing respect for minority rights, strengthening of the rule of law system in various areas, as well as education programmes such as the Erasmus+ which are available to students and young people. The Chief Negotiator informed the students about the new approach to accession negotiations, the negotiating structure, and the organisation of this group of experts, and he discussed in particular those chapters that treat youth-related issues.
Director-General for NATO and Security Policy Dragana Radulović spoke about the Government’s efforts in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration. She noted that EU and NATO integration are two parallel processes and she underlined the main differences between the two organisations. She spoke in particular about the political dimension of NATO and the benefits of membership for the daily life of citizens. Ms Radulović has underlined that the young people will be able to enjoy the most benefits of NATO membership, and noted that NATO integration will provide to all citizens, and the youth especially, a safe and sustainable future and preconditions for unhindered economic and overall development of the society.
The students also visited the “13 July – Plantaže” wine-producing company, that has codified some of its products to conform to NATO standards. They talked about the process of codifying products with Slavoljub Marković of the Defence Ministry’s Directorate for Standardisation and Codification. Mr Marković said that codification is the way for Montenegro to make its products available to the NATO community and other nations within the system and thus offers a great opportunity for our economy.
The Info Day ended with the students’ visit to the Info Centre on Euro-Atlantic Integration. They learnt about the activities of the info-centre in Podgorica and other towns from Biljana Jovanović, representative of CDT, an organisation that runs the centre. They also talked to Slovenia’s Ambassador Vladimir Gašparič, who spoke about Slovenia, its role in Montenegro as a NATO contact-country, and he elaborated on the benefits Slovenia has received from NATO membership.
The Info Day was organised by the NATO Membership Council’s Communication Team, as part of the public dialogue on NATO membership and in accordance with the action plan for implementing the Strategy for informing the public about Montenegro’s accession to the European Union 2014-2018, with the view to providing information to different target audiences about the processes of Montenegro’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
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