Krivokapić, Basso: Government has the task of making Montenegro different and economically developed

Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić is paying a visit to the United Kingdom, where he met today with President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Odile Renaud-Basso and her associates.

Prime Minister Krivokapić expressed satisfaction that he is the first official to visit the EBRD headquarters after the COVID-19 pandemic and that he has the opportunity to discuss topics of importance for the future of Montenegro with one of the most important international partners.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the Government, despite being burdened by complicated political relations, economic consequences caused by coronavirus and unsustainable public finances, managed to repair the epidemiological situation caused by coronavirus as much as possible, but also to help citizens and the economy bear the burden of health and economic crisis.

The results of the work of the Government so far, in only 200 days of work, give us the right to believe that we can reach the standard of the most developed countries in Europe much faster. There is reason for optimism, said PM Krivokapić. The Prime Minister emphasised that by adopting the budget, the Government created the conditions for faster economic recovery with the stabilisation of public finances, as one of the main preconditions for overall economic sustainability.

PM Krivokapić pointed out that this year's summer results in the tourism sector instill real hope that the reformist government headed by him will get the necessary financial momentum to meet the globally challenging period, preserve social security and stability of the financial system, and create an opportunity to strengthen more diverse small and medium-sized businesses.

The Government has the task of making Montenegro different and economically developed. Although your support to Montenegro so far has been generous, we expect even stronger support, so that we can implement all started and planned projects. Montenegro must become a fully accessible country in terms of road traffic as well. We do not need a motorway only for tourism, but for the third project, which is the Port of Bar. If you have such a port and you do not use it, it is not good for Montenegro or the rest of Europe. What we see as the greatest potential of the Port of Bar is container port traffic, said Krivokapić.

The Prime Minister pointed out that in process of the development of the economy and the achievement of European standards, the Government largely relies on the support of international partners who in the previous period gave, and continue to give, a concrete and visible contribution to the development of Montenegrin society. The contribution of the EBRD is huge, especially in the sector of road and railway transport, energy, small and medium enterprises. I hope that this intensive communication of ours will give concrete results and that we will have the opportunity to recapitulate what was done at the Investment Summit in February and witness good, tangible results, said Krivokapić.

EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso expressed great satisfaction that she had the opportunity to welcome the Prime Minister of Montenegro.

We want to help your country and support you during the economic recovery. Support is definitely needed, especially in these difficult times for everyone. I must thank you and express my satisfaction with the efforts being made by your Government to recover the national economy. As you know, we are focused on helping the private sector, as well as on infrastructure projects that can make life better for all citizens, said Basso.

The President of the EBRD pointed out the natural potentials that Montenegro has, which have yet to be used. Basso has expressed interest in energy projects, especially those focused on wind and solar, and the EBRD is ready to provide significant support.

The meeting was also attended by Minister of Economic Development Jakov Milatović, who said that the EBRD is an important institutional investor and represents strong support for the economic development of Montenegro, both in terms of financing and technical assistance.