DPM Simović hosts Director for Western Balkans Genoveva Ruiz Calavera

Podgorica, Montenegro (17 October 2017) -- Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Financial System and Minister of Agriculture Milutin Simović met today with the Director for the Western Balkans at the Directorate-General for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission Genoveva Ruiz Calavera.

DPM Simović pointed out that we are delighted to mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union, stressing the exceptional importance of this date and event that marked the beginning of our path to full EU membership.

The previous decade represents a period in which Montenegro has been changing through comprehensive and dynamic reforms and a broadly inclusive process. He emphasised that this was not only the work of the Government of Montenegro, but a process in which all segments of the society had an appropriate place. In this process, we were not burden by the deadlines, as he noted, but by the quality of the implemented reforms, the adopted standards and new values.

DPM Simović said that in the coming period, in addition to meeting the political criteria, the emphasis will be on fulfilling equally important economic criteria. He recalled the decisive and committed implementation of the fiscal strategy as an important precondition for achieving fiscal stability and economic growth.

He pointed out that the Government expects the European Commission's new progress report, which will be published in April 2018, since the reports were always significant for the Government.

Calavera thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for the detailed review of Montenegro's path to EU membership and stressed that she is very proud to attend the signing of the 10th anniversary  of the signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. She also thanked DPM Simović for the view that the EC progress reports are objective, partnership and friendly guidelines, highlighting the good sides and areas in which additional efforts are needed.