PM Duško Marković hosts European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn

Podgorica, Montenegro (8 December 2016) – Prime Minister of Montenegro Duško Marković hosted earlier today European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. The two officials emphasised the progress Montenegro has made in terms of the number of opened negotiating chapters, hopeful that this pace will be continued next year.

PM Marković said that he is particularly pleased with the fact that Commissioner Hahn pleadged European Commission's willingness to continue to support the European path of Montenegro.

For a candidate country, the boycott of the Parliament is not sustainable and the ruling parties in Montenegro need to find a way to persuade opposition parties to return to the Parliament, said European Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

It is especially important for those parties that have already voiced their commitment to the European perspective. The international community has been observing the country and part of the European process relies on the political debate that takes place primarily in the Parliament, Commissioner Hahn underscored.

He stated that no one expects that all the decisions are taken unanimously, but that debate should take place in the Parliament. This is something that responsible politicians should do, EU’s Johannes Hahn underlined.

Speaking about financial consolidation, he pointed out that the rate of Montenegro’s debt has suddenly increased by almost 40% over the last five years and that the country has to deal this matter.

Regarding the opposition’s boycott of the Parliament, Prime Minister Duško Marković clearly stated that the Government is willing to establish a dialogue and ensure conditions for the opposition to return to the Parliament and launch a joint discussion about all the issues related to the future of Montenegro.

Following PM Marković’s meeting with European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Minister for European Affairs of Montenegro Aleksandar Andrija Pejović and Director for Western Balkans at the Directorate for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Genoveva Ruiz Calavera initialled the Financing Agreement between Montenegro and the European Commission for IPA 2016, by which the European Union provides EUR 24 million of grant support to Montenegro.