Montenegro joins International Organisation of La Francophonie (IFO) as observer country

Montenegro has been granted observer status in the International Organisation of La Francophonie (l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie). The decision was formally reached at the 13th International Organisation of La Francophonie Summit held in Montreux, Switzerland on October 23.

Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Igor Luksic, who attended the Summit, underlined that gaining observer status in IFO will be a considerable support for Montenegro’s commitment to European integration, cooperation with international organisations, development of human rights and peace, as well as the rapprochement to the French speaking countries of Europe, Africa, Asia and America.

“Montenegro has long and strong historical, political and cultural ties with La Francophonie Organisation member states. As far as France is considered, those ties date back to the friendship between Ramon Toulouse and King Bodin at the beginning of the past millennium, through our King Nikola I, who was educated in France and introduced French as the first foreign language at the State High School in Cetinje and finally to the numerous modern cultural and artistic connections, especially represented by Dado Djuric, a painter who is deeply and permanently connected to the two traditionally friendly countries,” Deputy Prime Minister highlighted.

International Organisation of La Francophonie is a political organisation representing one of the world’s largest linguistic communities. The Organisation nowadays brings together 70 member states and governments (56 member states and 15 observing countries), which altogether account for one third of UN member states, with a population of over 870 million people.