Montenegro: The future Singapore of Europe

The strategic economic partnership with the United States is of immense importance for the desired development of Montenegro's economy, as conveyed from the meeting between Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien.

The economic dialogues, which commenced today, will contribute to intensifying cooperation and attracting a greater number of investments from the United States.

For Montenegro, this marks a pivotal moment in fulfilling our commitment to becoming the Singapore of Europe. The focus was on the economy, which was the main topic of our meeting. Without the American economy, which amounts to 25 trillion euros, Montenegro would find it challenging to achieve all these ambitious goals we have set for ourselves. These discussions mark the beginning after which we expect American companies to be far more interested in investing, stated the Prime Minister, further emphasising the significance of this partnership.

The growth plan is one of the most important initiatives for Montenegro, presented this year, as our market, through economic integration, will grow from 500,000 to half a billion. This is a message to investors. We have prepared a significant number of reforms that we will implement to align ourselves with the single European market. This is closely monitored in Washington, as well as our European path. I have outlined our plans to have another Intergovernmental Conference during the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU, which will open the possibility of closing chapters this year.

The first step towards this goal could be membership in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), followed by numerous reforms aimed at removing business barriers.

It was jointly assessed that for Montenegro's further European perspective, it is important for all branches of government to adhere to the programme and remain consistent in delivering results that are part of the agreement.

US Assistant Secretary of State O'Brien also emphasised the importance of the Growth Plan in terms of strengthening the interest of investors from the United States, highlighting that economic meetings are crucial in showcasing Montenegro's potential.

He underscored that Montenegro will have significant support from the United States on its path to the EU and that it is crucial to efficiently conclude this process.

Now, with this Government, there is indeed a real opportunity to move towards deeper integration, not only towards the EU but also transatlantic integration. It is a great honor for me, on behalf of the United States, to have the chance to speak about this important relationship. I have spoken with Supreme State Prosecutor Marković and Chief Special Prosecutor Novović, and the fact that they are fully engaged is a significant achievement of this Government, indicating the commitment that this country has to embrace European values, stated O’Brien.

During the meeting, there were discussions about the planned dynamics of road infrastructure development, the opportunities provided by the Port of Bar, and the need for improvement of Montenegro's airports.

It was noted that there is ample room for much better cooperation in the field of tourism.

The excellent cooperation within NATO was also emphasised, where Montenegro is a strong and reliable partner.