Bucharest: Romania will continue to support Montenegro strongly and actively on its path towards EU and NATO

Romania will continue to support Montenegro strongly and actively on its path towards EU and NATO, Romania’s foreign minister Titus Corlatean said earlier today to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Lukšić at their meeting in Bucharest.

Mr Corlatean said Montenegro has made notable and visible progress in meeting commitments in both integration processes. On the level of EU integration, your progress has been confirmed by opening seven negotiation chapters, and especially chapters 23 and 24 which are the cornerstone of any country’s economic and democratic development, Mr Corlatean said. He noted he is certain that Montenegro will continue implementing the Euro-Atlantic agenda with the same vigour in the future, and he announced his country’s support to Montenegro’s, especially through expert support, knowledge and experience transfer, and development of capacities to meet NATO standards.

Deputy Prime Minister Lukšić noted he was glad that during today’s meetings he received strong messages of Romania’s support to making enlargement a topic of the summit agenda. He informed his Romanian counterpart that Montenegro is fully committed to reforms in four key areas for NATO integration. In that regard, he noted that he expects the forthcoming NATO summit to recognise the political, security, economic, and other benefits of the open door policy towards the region. Mr Lukšić welcomed Romania’s initiative, made together with Turkey and Poland, for the forthcoming summit to be an enlargement summit.

The two officials agreed that their countries, who cherish traditionally good bilateral and political relations, along the lines of shared interests and efforts towards good regional cooperation, European, and Euro-Atlantic integration, should work in the future on making their relations even closer, which will certainly be aided by the launch of the first diplomatic and consular post of Montenegro in Romania.

They also agreed to expand cooperation in the areas such as health, social insurance, science, and technology, with the view to materialising various bilateral initiatives of importance for the two countries’ citizens.

Along the lines of the Economic Cooperation Agreement, they underlined that this year the two countries need to make steps towards improving economic cooperation by way of organising a business forum.

The two ministers signed today an education agreement and a cultural cooperation programme, by way of which, as Minister Lukšić noted, new possibilities are being open for our citizens, youth especially, to exchange creative ideas, experience, and knowledge, and to continue building ever stronger ties between the two friendly peoples.

Minister Corlatean once again thanked the Government and people of Montenegro for their solidarity and selfless help in the aftermath of the tragic traffic accident that took place last year in Montenegro, which, as he said, Romanian people will never forget.

Earlier today, Deputy Prime Minister Lukšić spoke to Eugen Teodorovici, minister for European funds, about Romania’s pre-accession experience in preparing for using the EU structural funds. They agreed to exchange experts in TAIEX and Twinning programmes. In his meeting with economy minister Constantin Nita, Mr Lukšić spoke about establishing a closer cooperation between the two economy ministries, the opportunities to present Montenegro’s economic potentials to Romanian investors, and other activities aimed at boosting economic cooperation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Igor Lukšić went om an official visit to Romania at the invitation of his counterpart Titus Corlatean.