DPM Ivanović participates in the 19th Bled Strategic Forum

Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Filip Ivanović is attending the 19th Bled Strategic Forum in Bled, Slovenia.

The conference's opening was marked by speeches from the President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister Tanja Fajon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

On the first day, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović held discussions on the sidelines of the Forum with High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina Christian Schmidt, Slovenia's and the United Kingdom's special envoys for the Western Balkans Andžej Frangeš and Lord Stuart Peach, as well as representatives from the Atlantic Council in Washington.

During these discussions, Ivanović reminded his counterparts that Montenegro is the first country to have met the interim benchmarks in the key negotiation chapters and is on track to close several chapters by the end of this year. He further stated that the Government's plan is to close all chapters by early 2027, making Montenegro realistically poised to become an EU member by 2028, provided strong commitment continues from both Podgorica and Brussels.

In talks with High Representative Schmidt, Ivanović emphasised the importance of respecting the Dayton Agreement and noted that a stable and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina is essential for the progress of the entire region. Schmidt informed Ivanović about the current developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting the need for internal consensus.

During his meeting with the UK's Special Envoy Lord Stuart Peach, Ivanović expressed Montenegro's view of the United Kingdom as one of its closest partners, with whom it seeks to deepen bilateral relations. He also acknowledged the UK's significant contributions to democratic and structural reforms in Montenegro. Lord Peach emphasised the importance of Montenegro maintaining its momentum for progress and affirmed the UK's strong commitment to Montenegro's prosperity, a position endorsed by the new British administration.

In discussions with Special Envoy Frangeš, Ivanović thanked Slovenia for its active role in the EU enlargement process and briefed him on Montenegro's progress in European integration. Frangeš reiterated Slovenia's belief that Montenegro can be a successful European story and confirmed Slovenia's continued support on both political and expert levels.

In a conversation with Jörn Fleck, Director of the Europe Center of the Atlantic Council, Ivanović expressed Montenegro's high regard for its strategic partnership with the United States and its desire to further enhance this relationship. He informed Fleck about the ongoing economic dialogue between the two countries, which further underscores the strong bilateral ties. Fleck assured Ivanović that his organisation would continue efforts to keep the Western Balkans on Washington's agenda and would promote the region's undeniable potential, highlighting Montenegro as a success story.

Tomorrow, Deputy Prime Minister Ivanović will participate in a panel titled "Europe Whole and Free: A Renewed Commitment to European Security" and will attend an informal meeting of foreign ministers and special envoys for the Western Balkans. He will also have several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Forum.