Press release: Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic meets with director of French Foreign Ministrys Continental Europe Department Jean-François Terral and French Ambassador to Serbia-Montenegro Hugues Pernet

Today in Podgorica, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic met with Director of the Continental Europe Department of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jean-François Terral and French Ambassador to Serbia-Montenegro Hugues Pernet.

In response to inquiries from his guests, Prime Minister Djukanovic presented the latest developments in Montenegro and the situational in the Western Balkans. The unfinished processes initiated during the last decade of the last century in former Yugoslavia, i.e. unresolved issue of Kosovo and Metohija and relations between Serbia and Montenegro, were recognized as the main reasons that absolute stability had still not been attained. While the problem of Kosovo and Metohija was the only remaining security issue in the region, which should be resolved in negotiations between Belgrade and Prishtina, with the involvement of the international community, the matter of Serbia-Montenegro relations was of said to be of a completely different nature, its essence being the right to a democratic choice and development. In that context, the Prime Minister introduced his guests to Montenegros proposal for the restructuring of relations within the State Union on new grounds, in a process that would fully meet international standards.

In addition, the Prime Minister emphasized that Montenegros foreign policy priorities included the integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures, i.e. membership of the European Union and NATO.

The French visitors voiced their understanding for the presented views. They commended the preservation and promotion of multiethnic relations in Montenegro and Montenegros contribution to the development of regional stability. Referring to future relations within the State Union it was found that, all considerations aside, Montenegrin citizens had the right to chose their fate, in a democratic procedure observing international standards, and France would respect that.

It was said that the positive feasibility report on the accession to the European Union should be used, as much as possible, to adopt European standards and accelerate the process of the separate accession of the State Unions member states to the European Union.

It was agreed that it was necessary to strengthen bilateral agreements and various aspects of cooperation, since the conditions for that had been created. In that respect, the ongoing activities in economic, scientific, technical, educational and cultural cooperation should be developed, enriching the overall cooperation with new substance.

The talks were attended by Head of the French Office in Podgorica Jonathan Lacote.