Ernst Reichel of German Foreign Ministry: We see Montenegro as country that will receive NATO invitation by end of 2015

Podgorica, Montenegro (14 September 2015) – Prime Minister Milo Đukanović hosted earlier today Special Envoy of the German Foreign Ministry for Eastern Europe, Turkey and the EFTA states Ernst Reichel.

Germany regards Montenegro as a country that leads the process of Euro-Atlantic integration, makes a contribution to regional stability and manages to maintain good neighbourly relations in the region, Mr Reichel emphasised, hopeful that Montenegro will continue to be a catalyst for positive processes in the Western Balkans. He said that Montenegro’s accession progress has been encouraging, which is also reflected in the European Commission’s progress report.

Montenegro can be a role model for others in the region, Special Envoy Reichel said. He added that Germany sees Montenegro as a country that will receive a NATO invitation by the end of the year, which will be a confirmation of the appreciation of the progress achieved, highlightening the attention that Germany pays to the European perspective of the Western Balkans.

He also welcomed the current activities in the fields of rule of law and fight against organised crime, and voiced belief that the positive trend will be continued after Montenegro becomes a NATO member state.

Prime Minister Đukanović thanked Mr Reichel for Germany’s continuous support and assistance to Montenegro in the field of economic and democratic development, and implementation of comprehensive reforms in the negotiating process with the EU, especially in the field of justice and home affairs.

"The Berlin process is the most important part of the European policy towards the Western Balkans, a new impulse to the development of infrastructure in the region," said Prime Minister Đukanović, adding that the recent Vienna summit has successfully crowned one-year activities undertaken within the initiative launched by Chancellor Merkel.

He particularly referred to the importance of greater presence of German investor and the cooperation in numerous areas, such as science and education, for boosting bilateral relations between the two countries.