Brussels: Partners from EU and Brussels to help Montenegro continue reform process

Brussels, Belgium (26 June 2015) – Encouraging messages and support from the EU and Belgium, as well concrete expert cooperation and assistance, will enable Montenegro to continue its reform processes, Finance Minister Radoje Žugić underlined during his three-day visit to the EU institutions and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

The meeting between Minister Žugić and his Belgian counterpart Johan Van Overtveldt emphasised that Belgium commends Montenegrin efforts towards meeting fiscal stability, consolidating public finance and fighting grey economy, as the key preconditions for stronger economic development. Cooperation and exchange of knowledge and expertise aimed at attracting foreign investments and enabling free flow of capital are crucial for dynamic economic cooperation between the two states, Minister Žugić stressed.

Minister Overtveldt highlighted that Montenegro and Belgium cherish the same strategic approach to public finance policy and dealing with similar challenges, which forms a solid basis for further development of cooperation, and exchange of good practice and experience. In that regard, he underlined that Montenegrin Ministry of Finance can count on full support and assistance of its Belgian partners.

Minister Žugić also met in Brussels with EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska, EU’s Director-General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Jonathan Faull, and Programme Director for Western Balkans Jean-Eric Paquet.

The officials discussed public procurement reform in Montenegro, stressing the reforms are very challenging from administrative and legal points of view, and that the quality of the reforms must prevail over the speed.