Minister Nurković participates in Twelfth SEETO Annual Meeting of Ministers in Brussels

Brussels, Belgium (6 December 2016) – Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs Osman Nurković and his associates, at the invitation of the European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc, participated in the Twelfth Annual Meeting of the Ministers of Transport, which was held as part of the Memorandum for the development of the core regional transport network in Southeast Europe.

The focus of the "Twelfth Annual Meeting of Transport Ministers on the Development of the Indicative Extension of Comprehensive and Core Network to the Western Balkans " was aimed at finding ways of cooperation in order to improve road traffic safety, which is an issue of key importance to the region of the Western Balkans and the EU, but also one of the reforms in the process of integration of the Western Balkans, whose implementation has been agreed in the framework of the Berlin process and Connectivity Agenda of the Western Balkan Six (WB6) for 2015.

Minister Nurković stressed the importance of the regional infrastructure connectivity.

"Our goal is to better connect the Western Balkan countries during the EU accession and thus stimulate economic growth and development, both through investment promotion, as well as the harmonisation of regulatory reforms. Improving interconnectivity of the Western Balkans, and with the EU, is a key factor for increasing the competitiveness of the region and the impetus for creating new jobs," Minister Nurković said, noting that the traffic safety is a high priority of the new government.

The Minister expressed special gratitude to the European Commission on a very intensive support and joint work in the past several months aimed at creating conditions for the initiation of the Treaty establishing Transport Community with the Western Balkans region, which Montenegro strongly supports.

European Commissioner for Transport Violet Bulc praised the efforts that the Western Balkan countries made in order to improve traffic safety.

European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn referred to the context of the Treaty Establishing the Transport Community, which is expected to be signed at the summit of the heads of government of Western Balkan Six in Rome in 2017. As Hahn said, the signing will provide significant benefits for the entire region, both in the field of transport, and in the process of EU integration.