Montenegro and Hungary enhance EU and NATO integration partnership

Podgorical Montenegro (15 June 2012) – Prime Minister Igor Lukšić and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán signed the declaration on establishing advanced cooperation in the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration in Budapest earlier today.

PM Lukšić underlined that Hungary strongly favours Montenegro’s EU and NATO membership aspirations. In that regard, he thanked the Hungarian Government for its support to Montenegro’s endeavours in meeting these strategic foreign policy goals, expecting late this month the EU to reach a decision on launching the accession negotiations with Montenegro, enabling the country to enter into the final stage of the EU integration process.

PM Lukšić also highlighted the excellent cooperation between the two defence ministries and positive experience from ISAF mission where Montenegro’s soldiers were under Hungarian command.

As to economic cooperation, Montenegro’s Prime Minister said that the Hungarian companies are among the most present investors in Montenegro and that they share good experiences.

“I am encouraged by the fact that the Hungarian investors are interested not only in staying in Montenegro, but also in advancing their investment plans which indicate that our region and the region of Eastern Europe possess structural advantages and competitiveness, and that they will be one of the backbones of the economic growth in Europe in the coming years,“ he stressed.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that Montenegro is a stable country which succeeded in maintaining political and social stability in the difficult times.

Therefore, Hungary is highly interested in establishing even closer economic ties with Montenegro’s Government and the business community in the country, he added.