Washington: DPM Marković and interior Minister Konjević meet with US State Department's senior officials

Washington D.C, the USA (15 April 2014) -- Montenegrin delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Duško Marković, and Minster of the Interior Raško Konjević, are paying a study visit to the United States, where they met with senior officials of the US Department of State.

The Montenegrin delegation thanked the US Government for providing support and assistance in implementing reforms related to the judiciary and police, as well as to strengthening capacities of Montenegro’s institutions for implementing legislation for combating organised crime and corruption in line with the Agreement on Law Enforcement, signed between the governments of Montenegro and the United States.

DPM Marković informed the US officials about Montenegro’s priorities in strengthening the rule of law, judiciary reform and fight against organised crime and corruption for 2014, adding that 2014 and 2015 will be particularly challenging when it comes to the strengthening of administrative capacities. In the coming period Montenegro’s citizens are going to feel benefits of pursuing reforms in the fields of judiciary, fundamental freedom and rights, and security, DPM Marković underlined. He added the fight against organised crime and corruption requires the establishment of a Special Prosecutors’ Office, as well as better concentration of institutional competences in this area.

Minister Konjević highlighted that Montenegro is making additional efforts and is undertaking activities towards fostering current administrative capacities necessary for more dynamic European integration process. In that context, he particularly emphasised the need to establish separate organisational units within Montenegro's Police Authority.

The US officials said that the United States’s Department of Homeland Security is willing to support Montenegro through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre, the respectable US training institution for federal law enforcement officers.