Minister Nurkovic at TEN-T Days in Ljubljana: Montenegro seeks to maximally engage in traffic safety and cross-border cooperation

A delegation led by the Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs of Montenegro Osman Nurkovic participates in Ljubljana (Republic of Slovenia) on TEN-T Days, a leading event on European transport conevictivity, with a special focus on traffic safety and cross-border connectivity. In addition to Minister Nurkovic, members of the Delegation are Secretary of State Angelina Živković, Secretary Adis Pepić, Director of Railway Traffic Department Milan Banković and Independent Advisor Bilsana Bibić.

On the first day of the event, Minister Nurkovic presented at the ministerial session of the Western Balkans and Turkey on the topic "Strengthening the Connections and Cross Border", chaired by European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc. It also addressed the open issues that still need to be addressed, notably on the lack of coordination in the field of cross-border cooperation, as well as the area of road safety and transport digitization.

Minister Nurkovic emphasized in his presentation the need for funds for justification and promotion of projects that will stimulate the regional economy, as well as for the strengthening of the planning and design capacities and the preparation of the integrated use of different types of transport.

Minister Nurkovic emphasized in his presentation the need for funds for justification and promotion of projects that will stimulate the regional economy, as well as for the strengthening of the planning and design capacities and the preparation of the integrated use of different types of transport. Regarding road traffic safety and cross-border cooperation, the minister has taken the opportunity to point out that Montenegro is a partner who strives to get maximum engagement, as demonstrated by the Montenegrin Government, which in a very short time allowed the Minister to ratify and sign the Declaration of Security the Traffic and the Declaration on Cross-Border Transfers. The Minister noted that Montenegro will continue devoted and dedicated to work to this priority agenda, but emphasized that, through close co-operation and technical and financial support, it can be brought closer to the living conditions of European Union citizens through one transition period.

Reflecting on Turkey's role in the development of the long-distance corridors connecting Europe and Asia, Minister Nurkovic proposed considering the possibility of including Turkey as a observer country in the implementation of the Transport Community Agreement, considering the growth of the Turkish economy, especially in the last decade, physical and soft infrastructure, applied standards and innovative technologies, and in particular taking into account the inevitable geo-strategic position of Turkey.

Beside Minister Nurkovic, the meeting was attended by his colleagues from Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Albania, as well as the Serbian secretary of state. The Ministers of Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic also participated, expressing support for the progress of transport in the Western Balkan countries and encouraging the improvement of regional connectivity and the linkage of this region with the EU. In addition to the ministers and high-level representatives of the European Commission, Colin Volf, unit leader NEAR D5, was also attended by representatives of the international financial institutions of the EIB, the EBRD and the World Bank. On this occasion, they discussed the already existing projects in the Western Balkans region, but also the need and willingness to provide the necessary financial resources for further improvement of the traffic infrastructure in these areas.

The closing part of the session was concluded by Bulc's commissar, who expressed the satisfaction that high representatives of the Western Balkans region could discuss issues of importance to all the countries concerned, regardless of the different views in some areas, particularly emphasizing the need for an integrated regional approach traffic as a general consensus of the session itself. Following the adoption, the present miners of the Western Balkans have confirmed the Declaration on Traffic Safety and the Declaration on Border Crossings.

Minister Nurkovic met with his colleagues at the margins of the event with the ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, as well as with the Serbian secretary of state.

Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs