Barroso writes to PM Đukanović: EU and Montenegro to continue to deepen cooperation

Archival photo, Brussels, 23 January 2013

On the occasion of the termination of his 10-year term of office, former President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso thanked Montenegro’s Prime Minister Milo Đukanovic for good cooperation, sure in the knowledge that the cooperation is to be expanded in the future.

In his letter, in which he addresses PM Đukanović as "Dear Prime Minister and Friend”, Jose Manuel Barroso noted that when he entered the headquarters of the European Commission in November 2004, he was certainly aware how demanding the job was, but that he could not have predicted the challenges that were ahead.

Over the past ten years, the European Union has gone through some of the most challenging periods in its history, but we successfully maintained a united Europe and made it even stronger, former president Barroso writes.

He emphasises this would not have been possible without constant support provided by many to the EU project, the European Commission as an institution, and in particular to him as its president. 

Mr Barroso commended the progress made in the area of enlargement, as well as the assistance provided to South East Europe on its European path, convinced that the cooperation between the EU and Montenegro is to be continued and deepened in the future.