IBAR confirms Montenegro's rule of law meets the minimum for EU accession

The guarantees and assurances we provided to our European partners in the first months of the Government, followed by concrete actions and the delivery of long-awaited results, formed the basis of trust. We have seized the momentum, and on this wave of optimism, institutions have become agile, while all societal actors, both opposition and ruling coalition, the Government and Parliament, have achieved the long-awaited unity on all issues critical for progress on the European path, said Prime Minister Milojko Spajić at the celebration of receiving IBAR, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Aleksa Bečić, and Ministers Filip Ivanović and Maida Gorčević.

He emphasised that receiving IBAR is not solely the achievement of high-ranking officials and media-exposed political figures but the result of the efforts of all those who, through diligent work and dedication to national interests, have helped identify and materialize the minutest details in the interim benchmarks through the actions undertaken.

The Prime Minister stated that receiving IBAR marks the beginning of the most demanding phase of the process, in which we must demonstrate a genuine willingness to tackle problems and find solutions to reach standards that will place us alongside European nations.

Negotiations are a transformative process in which society genuinely changes for the better. Therefore, regardless of dates and goals, our primary desire must be the construction of a fairer and better system for our citizens. Every day is a new opportunity to reach the goal more prepared, better, and more secure, Spajić said.

From the first day of our mandate, we have been treading a more challenging path, but we chose the right one by deciding to confront and resolve all inherited challenges. Instead of societal fragmentation and maneuvering in the trenches of division, we choose balance and the affirmation of everyone’s rights. Instead of privatizing achievements, we present Montenegro to international partners as a team with a common goal. This way, we make Montenegro a leader and an example in the region, rather than a state unable to solve its problems independently, concluded the Prime Minister.

The celebration held at the Music Center of Montenegro was attended by President of Parliament Andrija Mandić, Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković, Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novović, representatives of the diplomatic corps, as well as numerous Government members, MPs, media representatives, and the NGO sector.