Press release: Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic meets EU Troika delegation

Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic met today in Podgorica with a European Union Troika delegation, comprising British Ambassador David Gowan, Head of the European Commissions Mission to Serbia and Montenegro Joseph Lloveras and Austrian Chargé dAffaires in Belgrade Ulrich Hartman and their associates.

Having thanked the Prime Minister for the reception, Ambassador Gowan presented the contents of the European Unions document regarding Montenegros decision to round off its statehood status and hold the announced referendum. He emphasized that the document was a statement of principle and should be understood as the European Unions constructive effort aimed at resolving the current political issues in Montenegro.

Prime Minister thanked the European Union for the clear massage regarding the important processes that are underway in Montenegro and emphasized that he understood the European Unions initiative as a response to Montenegros invitation for all interested parties to take part in the dialog. Having emphasized the importance of the issues at stake, which directed the future course of European and Euro-Atlantic integration on the one hand and the final resolution of Montenegros statehood status on the other, the Prime Minister stressed that there was an awareness in Montenegro that those issues concerned the region as well, and accordingly the whole Europe, adding that Montenegro was aware of its responsibility in that respect.

The Prime Minister also referred to the contents of the document, underlining that Montenegro was, by all means, willing and capable of preserving internal stability and helping strengthen regional stability and that, regarding the restoration of its statehood, it was ready to conform not only to what is known as a standard, but also to the known and established European practice. In that context, Montenegro is ready to accept all recommendations from the Venetian Commission based on comparative practices of European countries. In addition, he agreed with the European Unions recommendations to open an internal dialogue in Montenegro and a dialogue with partners in Serbia regarding that important political issue, on which the Montenegrin Government insisted from the very beginning.

During the meeting, it was concluded that negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement had a successful start. With a view to continuing the negotiations, Montenegro will make maximum effort, on its part, to ensure that the process is carried out at the projected rate.