DPM Lazović, EU's Danielsson: Montenegro makes progress in implementing economic reforms

Podgorica, Montenegro (07 July 2015) – Deputy Prime Minister Vujica Lazović met earlier today in Podgorica with Christian Danielsson, Director General for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Negotiations at the European Commission, who is paying an official visit to Montenegro.

The meeting stressed the importance of the economic reforms which are currently being implemented in Montenegro, with a particular emphasis on the infrastructure and necessary improvements in the business environment, health care system, education and labour market.

DPM Lazović thanked Mr Danielsson for the positive evaluation of the Montenegrin Programme of Economic Reforms for the period 2015-2017, as a key document for carrying out the economy policy in the period 201-2017 and for various suggestions regarding the draft programme for 2016. He also mentioned the challenges Montenegrin economy is dealing with when it comes to dynamic economy growth without raising the public debt and deficit, reducing the number of employees in the public sector and structural unemployment.

EU’s Danielsson noted that Montenegro has achieved great progress in economic governance and commended improvements in economic reform process, adding that the European Commission is preparing more ambitious guidelines for drafting the programme of economic reforms. These guidelines will be aimed at reaching more coherent macro fiscal and sector aspects which will be incorporated into the Programme of Economic Reforms, Mr Danielsson explained. This approach is the same for all the member states and it will raise the level of competitiveness of the economies, he added.

Montenegro’s greater engagement in regional and European initiatives in terms of infrastructure and use of European funds for that purpose is also important for the country’s economic prosperity, Mr Danielsson pointed out.