DPM Marković hosts delegation of Committee for European Affairs of French National Assembly

Podgorica, Montenegro (3 March 2016) -- Deputy Prime Minister Duško Marković hosted earlier today a delegation of the Committee for European Affairs of the French National Assembly, led by President of the Committee Danielle Auroi. Mr Marković informed the parliamentary delegation about Montenegro’s progress in European and NATO integrations, emphasising its commitment to the most important national foreign policy priorities.

"Efforts towards achieving all the necessary preconditions for further integration can not be stopped, nor slowed. Improving the rule of law, further institutions upgrading, political stability and economic reforms are conditions for fulfilling the obligations of the negotiation process with the EU, because Montenegro wants to keep the reputation of a promising candidate country in the Western Balkans," DPM Marković stated.

President of the European Affairs Committee Danielle Auroi said that the French Assembly considers that all the Balkan countries should be part of the European Union, and stressed that France is closely monitoring Montenegro’s efforts towards achieving results in all areas, noting that her delegation is especially interested in the current political and democratic issues.

Deputy Prime Minister Marković informed the French delegation about Montenegro's efforts in terms of judiciary and fight against organised crime and corruption, which came as a result of strong constitutional, legislative and institutional reforms implemented over the past three years.

"Today's Montenegro has stable and independent judicial and prosecutorial institutional mechanisms, and its law enforcement authorities are exempt from the influence of politics, which has had a direct impact on the balance of the first serious results in the fight against organised crime and corruption," he emphasised.

The officials evaluated current cooperation between Montenegro and France as comprehensive and high-quality, and agreed in their assessment that it is important for France to keep its attention on the Western Balkans, since the integration of the Balkan countries contributes to the full stability of the region. Mrs Auroi also thanked DPM Marković for an honest and objective approach, describing it as a proper model of partnership between two countries.