Abazović: Prosecution reform is condition for EU membership, as well as for a strong fight against corruption and organized crime

Montenegro is heading towards the European Union and that is the only path that the new Government sees as the right one and the only path that guarantees a better future for all citizens of Montenegro. We may not be able to change the past, but we can certainly influence the future of our society, so the greatest patriotic obligation of all social factors is to work on strengthening the rule of law and greater distribution of justice, in order to create an economically, politically and socially stable environment and become a full member of the European Union as soon as possible, Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović pointed out at today's panel discussion.

The panel discussion is being held at the University of Montenegro on "Where is Montenegro Going: Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption".

Abazović reminded that the National Council for the Fight against High-Level Corruption has already achieved results, partly through the discovery of the scandal over the allocation of apartments, and partly due to other large investigations that are underway, but reminded that the best is yet to come.

"Apartments are one of the smallest operations that the Council is working on, and big things will only see the light of day if the institutions are capable enough to take part in such operations. In that sense, the new Law on the State Prosecutor's Office is extremely important, because we all know what role the State Prosecutor's Office used to play and how cases that were kept in drawers for years were treated, but also many cases that were made meaningless and ruined by bad indictments," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Abazović pointed out that with these people in the Prosecutor's Office, the Government cannot deliver the results in Chapters 23 and 24, nor ensure Montenegro's membership in the European Union, which is why it is necessary to change and institutionally build prosecutorial bodies in Montenegro after the adoption of the new Law on Prosecutor's Office.

"If your car is broken, and you want to get to a certain place, you have two choices - to repair the car or to buy a new one. The situation is the same with our Prosecutor's Office. If they had been able to deliver the desired results, they would have done so long ago. They would not wait for the new Government and political will, but would do their job professionally, independently and in accordance with the law. That is why these reforms are a sine qua non of Montenegro's progress," Abazović pointed out.

Furthermore, DPM Abazović stressed the special importance that the rule of law has for the further economic development of Montenegro, as well as for attracting credible and verified investors, and not the suspicious ones.

"Several large projects can change our country, which would permanently transform it and direct it in the right direction. So, with just a couple of significant investments, our country, with all its beauties and potentials, can become a much more beautiful place to live, in economic terms. But in order to organise our state, we need to make a different distribution of justice and create a far better environment. For all citizens, but also for all credible and serious investors. Because no serious and responsible man will want to invest his capital in a country where he will be racketeered, robbed and conditioned, but in a country with a clearly regulated legal system and established rule of law," Abazović pointed out.