Press release: President of the Republic Filip Vujanovic and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic met with EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana

President of the Republic Filip Vujanovic and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, met with EU High Representative for Common Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana in Belgrade today.

At the meeting reference was made to activities involved in the process of negotiating a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union, relations in the State Union and regional developments.


President of the Republic Filip Vujanovic and Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, met with EU High Representative for Common Foreign Policy and Security Javier Solana in Belgrade today.

At the meeting reference was made to activities involved in the process of negotiating a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union, relations in the State Union and regional developments.

The Montenegrin officials stressed Montenegros commitment to European and Euro-Atlantic integration and, by the same token, emphasized the importance of opening a negotiation process aimed at concluding a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU. Montenegro is ready for the negotiations the strategy has been defined and the negotiating team and six groups in charge of different fields of cooperation have been appointed. The reform process in the Republic is gathering pace in an attempt to facilitate the progress towards full integration with contemporary European developments, on the basis of the adopted European standards and efficient resolution of internal development challenges.

The President and the Prime Minister placed particular emphasis on the fact that the European integration process should not be associated with other topical political issues concerning relations in the State Union and regional developments. They expressed confidence that the best model for future relations between Montenegro and Serbia would be an alliance of independent and internationally recognized states, a proposal presented to partners in the Republic of Serbia early this year. They stressed that Montenegro would use the rights enshrined in the Belgrade Agreement and the Constitutional Charter and that the process of restoring statehood would be carried out in accordance with international standards, observing recommendations of international partners and giving full consideration to strengthening regional stability.

The EUs High Representative said he wished to pass a message from Brussels that the European Union would continue the adopted policy and stronger involvement with regard to the Western Balkans, in the spirit of the conclusions of the Thessaloniki Summit, identifying successful management of negotiations on the stabilization and association process with the EU as a priority task. Referring to Montenegro's decisiveness to round off its statehood status, the High Representative said that the European Union expected the Venetian Commissions recommendations on those issues and was ready to encourage dialogue. He pointed out that the final outcome of those processes should be beneficial for the region.

Support was expressed for the efforts UN Secretary Generals Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari made in guiding Belgrade and Pristina, with the help of the international communitys good services, towards an acceptable and long-term sustainable solution for Kosovo.

Both parties expressed interest in strengthening the dialogue and confirmed their confidence in Montenegros European orientation.