Minister Nuhodžić in Brussels: Montenegro as a reliable partner of the EU has taken all measures in the fight against mass migrations

Interior Minister Mevludin Nuhodzic announced today in Brussels that Montenegro, as a reliable partner of the European Union, has taken all necessary measures to successfully face a possible wave of illegal migrations, but added that close cooperation is needed between all the European countries in order to reduce the risk of mass migrations to a minimum in the interest of the whole of Europe.

"In 2015, the Government of Montenegro adopted the Action Plan in the event of a large influx of migrants, which is in line with international standards. The plan covers the locations of possible crossings at the borders of Montenegro, logistics centers, records, human resources, accommodation capacities, health and social protection, legal assistance, transport and, of course, security issues. We established the Coordination Committee and the Operational Team for the implementation of the Plan. The adoption of the Law on International and Temporary Protection of Foreigners and the Law on Foreigners additionally enhanced the normative framework "- said Minister Nuhodžić at a meeting attended by the interior ministers of the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Hezegovina, the Republic of Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Austria at the invitation of the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Minister Nuhodžić also said that Montenegro has established with all neighboring countries joint border patrols, that cooperation with FRONTEX is excellent and that Montenegro is consistently implementing readmission agreements.

"This is an important step towards accession to the European Union, given that the new Enlargement Strategy defines six priority areas, one of which concerns security and migration," the Minister said.

The Minister of the Interior of Montenegro has called for closer cooperation of the countries in dealing with the issue of illegal migration, saying that the problem must be resolved jointly, with an emphasis on respecting humanitarian standards and human rights.

"Montenegro is ready to take all measures to achieve close cooperation with its neighbors, with countries of possible destination, as well as countries of origin, with the goal of more efficient dealing with the problem of mass migration," said Minister Nuhodzic.

European Commissioner Avramopoulos said at a meeting that he expects from the Western Balkans countries to strengthen the capacities of the border police, accommodation capacities and reception centers, as well as to harmonize their legislation in the fields of migration, international protection, visa policy and border protection with the EU acquis. The Commissioner said that the Western Balkans can count on the full support of the European Commission in terms of border management and assistance in financial, expert and technical terms.

At today's meeting, the EU Commissioner for Migration, the EU Security Commissioner, the interior ministers of the Council of Europe and the present and future chairmanship of the EU Council confirmed their commitment to further intensifying cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans and the European Union in terms of strengthening border security, as well as the fight against organized crime, terrorism and illegal arms trafficking.

The meeting was also attended by Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) Fabrice Leggeri.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO