Minister Nuhodžić in Marrakech: Montenegro has taken all measures in case of migrants' inflow, facing migration challenges requires close cooperation between states

Interior Minister Mevludin Nuhodžić said at United Nations conference on migration held in Morocco that the Government of Montenegro is working in all fields, in order to better regulate migration processes, that our country, as the responsible state, took all measures for the possible acceptance of migrants and refugees in the event of their inflows and that it is in line with all international standards in this field and that Montenegro is committed to further strengthening regional cooperation in order to preserve the security of our countries and borders together.

“The Government of Montenegro is very active in different areas, aiming to better regulate migration processes, especially when it comes to control of entry to our country's territory. As a responsible country, we have taken all the necessary measures to be able to accommodate migrants and refugees in case of their eventual inflow, in line with all international standards in this area.” – Minister Nuhodžić said in Marrakech at the Intergovernmental Conference on the Adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Convenient and Regular Migration.

At the event, opened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, heads of states and governments, as well as high-level representatives from more than 150 countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, supported the Global Compact for Safe, Convenient and Legal migration, which establishes a framework for managing migration flows, through cooperation with European and international partners in border control in an integrated and coordinated manner. Secretary General Guterres announced that participation in the conference shows the importance that the international community attaches to finding solutions for better migration management, based on the principles of state sovereignty, shared responsibility, non-discrimination and human rights.

Addressing the gathering, the Montenegrin Minister reminded that our country welcomes the synchronized international activity, ie the definition of the Global Compact for Safe, Convenient and Regular Migration, which is a clear political signal to the unique activities and shared responsibility of the countries of origin, transit and destination to deal with this phenomenon. He said that the position of our country is that the definition of the Global Compact represents another confirmation of the importance of effective multilateralism in addressing the growing challenges facing the world.

“Montenegro is strongly committed to regional cooperation and enhancing the stability of the region. We believe that responsible approach in addressing migration related challenges requires joint activities of all countries in order to be able to cope with the very complex task of securing our borders while, at the same time, providing better future to those facing suffering. Within that context, it is of extreme importance that all Western Balkan countries align their national legislations in area of migration and asylum, as well as to harmonize their normative frameworks with EU Directives and standards, and in particular to develop human resources and technical capacities within their systems for control of movement of foreigners. The migrant crisis that has affected Europe, pointed to numerous deficiencies of national systems, underlining the need for regional cooperation, sharing of experiences, information, data, as well as sharing of missing resources, thus developing a joint response to this challenge.” – Minister Nuhodžić emphasised.

On the margins Minister Nuhodžić spoke with Foreign Ministers of Croatia Davor Božinović and the Republic of Turkey, Suleyman Soylu, on bilateral relations and strengthening cooperation in the area of security and migration management.

In the Montenegrin delegation, which was led by Minister Nuhodžić, were also the State Secretary for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zoran Janković and the Head of the Permanent Mission of Montenegro to the United Nations, Ambassador Milica Pejanović Djurišić.