PM Lukšić: Montenegro boosts EU accession bid and achieves economic recovery, through social dialogue and synergy

PHOTO GALLERY

• EU's decision to set target date for the launch of Montenegro’s accession talks results from combined efforts of all social stakeholders

• Montenegro is one of few European countries that has kept budget deficit and public spending within the Maastricht criteria

• PM Lukšić encourages greater public participation in policy making, announces online platform for e-petitions

Cetinje, Montenegro (27 December 2011) – Addressing his annual press conference in Cetinje earlier today, Montenegrin Prime Minister Igor Lukšić summed up his government’s key achievements in 2011, focusing in particular on the most recent EU integration progress, WTO accession and national economic recovery.

PM Lukšić emphasised the importance of social dialogue and partnership as his government’s key guiding principles. “I believe that the greatest success of this government is that we have proved that, seemingly unbridgeable, social divides can be overcome through dialogue and partnership between all social and political stakeholders,” the PM told the press.

He noted that the European Council’s decision to open EU accession talks with Montenegro in June 2012 is the best confirmation of the country’s democratic and social development.

“Montenegro is a success story when it comes to EU integration,” PM Lukšić underlined. In response to a journalist's question, he said that Head of Montenegro’s Mission to the EU Ambassador Aleksandar Andrija Pejovic will be appointed as the country’s chief negotiator at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Referring to Montenegro’s Euro-Atlantic integration, the PM noted that the country continues to reform its defence system and expects an encouragement for the open door policy at the NATO Chicago’s Summit in May 2012.

“Montenegro has rounded off its 2011 integration efforts in the best possible way by joining the World Trade Organisation in December,” the Prime Minister emphasised.

According to him, the Montenegrin economy has seen a recovery in almost every sector, with projected GDP growth of at least 2.5 per cent in 2011. The fiscal consolidation measures have cut the public spending from 47.2 per cent in 2010 to 42.6 per cent of GDP in 2011. At the same time, the Budget deficit has been reduced from 3.9 per cent in 2010 to around 3.3 per cent of GDP in 2011, which puts Montenegro among the few European countries that have managed to stay within the Maastricht criteria.

In addition, Montenegro has conducted structural reforms in the areas of health, education, science, social welfare and pension system, additionally advanced the business environment by cutting red tape, maintained the competitive tax system, aiming to offer new benefits to investors in less developed areas.

PM Lukšić reiterated that the culture of dialogue and partnership with all social stakeholders, which he introduced at the very beginning of his term through the initiative “Consultation Days”, will remain the core guiding principle of his government.

“It seems that this approach has provided a significant contribution to the development of participatory democracy in Montenegro,” said the prime minister.

By the same token, he announced the launch of an online platform for e-petition entitled “Citizens’ Voice”, aimed at encouraging greater public participation in policy making. The platform will enable any adult Montenegrin citizen or legal resident to launch or sign an online petition. If supported by at least 6,000 online signatures, the petition will be considered by the government and, if necessary, debated in the Parliament as well.