Press release: Djukanovic meets Parvanov

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic today met with President of the Republic of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov, who is making an official visit to Montenegro marking an anniversary of the tragic death of a group of Bulgarian school children in the River Lim.

Following mutual expressions of solidarity and friendship, reference was made to bilateral relations and cooperation, developments in Montenegro, relations within the State Union and situation in the Western Balkans. It was agreed that continued top-level political dialogue had provided a sound basis for he development of bilateral relations and that the upward trend in different forms of cooperation was increasingly conspicuous.

The Prime Minister acquainted the Bulgarian President with the economic and political situation in the Republic and macroeconomic stability, as the preconditions for congruence with modern international trends and higher inflow of foreign investment, substituting institutional investment scheme with foreign direct investment. He informed his guest of Montenegros determination to accelerate the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, recognizing a positive feasibility study for a stabilization and association agreement with the EU and membership of NATOs Partnership for Peace Program as its explicit and immediate goals for the following period. The Prime Minister acquainted President Parvanov with relations in the State Union and Montenegros proposal for the redefinition of those relations on the grounds provided by the Belgrade Agreement and the Constitutional Charter.

President Parvanov expressed sympathy and understanding for the presented views and arguments and affirmed Bulgarias readiness to share the positive experience and expertise obtained during its accession to the EU, scheduled to conclude in 2007, and NATO, of which it already gained full membership. Referring to Montenegros aspiration to resolve its statehood status, President Parvanov emphasized that Bulgaria would respect legitimate will of its citizens and accept a solution based on the policy of peace and stability in the region.